As Blue as the Sky
by Nozomi Kajuji
Summary: AU. Princess Nozomi is known for being a kind and fair ruler. However, her life gets turned upside down when a strange man with long silver hair washes up onto a secluded beach. What will she do when she finds out he's the King of Thieves & Pirates? And what will he do? YoukoXOC Sequel to As Red as a Rose. Please R&R (Rating may change.)
1. Chapter 1 - The Strange Man

Wow! I haven't been on in YEARS! It's amazing how time flies... Well, if any of you are wondering, any of my old readers that is, a lot has happened to me in the past 2-3 years that I have been absent... You may recall my story 'As Red as a Rose' that I wrote in honor of my best friend, whom is portrayed as the main protagonist in that story. Well, unfortunately, we are no longer friends... As painful as it is, I am forced to move on, and continue life, for that is how it is, no? With that said, I have decided I need more than one opinion, and I thought about uploading my 'As Blue as the Sky' story. The 'Sequel' of sorts. This story happens WHILE ARAAR is happening. A unique twist, no? I hope you enjoy this story as much as the last~!

As a bit of an after thought, for those new readers, hello! My name is Nozomi Kajuji, and I hope you enjoy this story! Please, no flames about it being a "Mary-Sue". This was written years ago, and I plan on finishing this project that I had dedicated to my friend and myself. First it was her time to shine, and now it is mine. I couldn't care less if you think of it as a mary-sue. It is your own personal preference. And as I've said, this was written years ago, and only recently have I decided to continue writing it. The beginning of the fanfiction is a bit...rough. But, it gets better as time progresses. But, enough rambling. You have come here for the first chapter!

Disclaimer:I do **not** own YYH, any of it's characters, or the rights. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few others things.

And now, for the first chapter.

-This happens 4 months before Leiko got kidnapped by Kurama

Nozomi took a deep breath as her grandmother's coach disappeared over the following ridge, signaling that she was now free from parental guidance. Feeling a wave of relief wash over her, she turned and began walking calmly down a passageway, her mind blank. As her heels clicked softly against the polished marble floors, she gave another sigh, suddenly feeling lonely.

"Princess, are you all right?" A young man, a knight who had been passing by, asked, hearing her sigh.

"Oh, yes. I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She replied, smiling slightly. "Thank you for worrying, but I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Such a beauty shouldn't show sadness…" The knight replied, blushing slightly, having been holding onto his helmet underneath his arm.

She smiled at him, though it was a forced smile. "Thank you for the compliment, but… Never mind. You may continue your job as protecting the castle." She said, beginning to walk past him.

"But… Where will you go, Princess?"

She paused, giving a soft and pensive 'Hm'. "I believe…I will go down to the beach…"

"Would you like me to go with you, ma'am?" He asked, already about to volunteer himself for her protection.

"No, no. It's all right." She turned and smiled sweetly at him, that being her nature. "I'll be all right by myself."

Without another word, the princess strolled off, her delicate hands folded gently over her lap, her eyes distant. Entering her room, she removed her high-heels, which she loathed more than anything else she had to wear, and tossed them into her closet. She removed her dress as carefully as possible, not wanting to tear the one and only gift from her mother.

Nozomi's parents were constantly traveling, driven by each other's love, to different places around the globe. Her mother, who had had her at a very young age, had decided to leave her with her lovers mother while they both enjoyed their youth. Her father barely remembered her name, and when he did, it was usually for something he thought she had done on purpose. Nozomi, however, couldn't be happier. Although she cared deeply for them, as she did for everyone near her, including the village, she cared more for her grandmother than anything else. She would hate to cause her pain on purpose.

Carefully getting dressed in fitting jeans and a dark blue fitting T-shirt, she carefully hung her dress in a hangar and placed it at the back of her closet, knowing that she would forget about it. Releasing her hair from its containment in her shirt still, she re-brushed it and left it loose, liking it better that way. Her light brown hair cascaded down her slender body, coming to rest around the middle of her abdomen from behind. Her cerulean colored eyes matched perfectly with her blue outfit, and as she was, she slipped out easily through her bedroom door and glanced about; making sure that no one was out there to see her dressed in commoners clothing.

Glad to see that no one was there, she snuck, barefooted, out of the castle and down to the beach, not at all bothered by the stones and other sharp objects on the ground. Taking the long way, so as not to be seen going through the market of the village, she gingerly climbed down the large rocks that were there and jumped the rest of the way down onto the pure white sand, her feet sinking upon impact.

Smiling warmly, feeling the warm sand between her toes, she began walking across the sand, enjoying the warmth and welcome she felt, being near the water's edge. Taking in a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of the ocean, her eyes closed, her ears opened up to all sounds, relaxation washing over her. Opening her eyes, she jogged over to the waters' edge and giggled when the water washed over her feet, washing the sand away. She giggled again, not able to help herself as the waters' rhythm flooded into her ears.

With her ears and other senses open to the elements, she heard what sounded like someone gasping for breath. Opening her eyes, she turned to her right to find a man, crawling his way out of the ocean, his body soaked and ragged. Gasping, she ran over to him, kneeling down in front of him to check if he was okay, for he had collapsed on the beach, still half in the water, and not moving.

"Sir? Are you okay?" Nozomi asked, concerned, her eyes traveling over his body. Seeing the captains' hat that washed up next to him at that moment, she knew that it was a pirate. Ignoring that detail, she concentrated on aiding the man, hoping that he would survive.

Seeing more waves approaching, bigger than the small capillary waves so far, she grabbed his hat and placed it between her teeth, and grabbed the man under his shoulders, dragging him backwards, even though he was still facing forward. After getting back far enough from the waters' edge, struggling with the man's weight slightly, she stumbled going backwards and ended up falling back, landing on her rear. Dazed, she blinked, gazing down at the man blankly.

It was then that she had a good look at him. He had slivery white hair that was currently matted and dripping with water, now dirtied with sand. She couldn't see his face very well, but she knew that it definitely had sand on it by now. But, from what she could tell, without the sand and from what she could see, he was very handsome. Realizing that she still had his hat in her mouth, she got up, dusted off, then removed it. Glancing about, knowing the risk he was at, and she was at for helping him, she needed to find a place to protect him.

This part of the beach was secluded, and only a few people knew where it was, so she decided that he could stay here for the time being. Realizing that the man was not breathing, Nozomi soon grew panicked. Kneeling back down next to him, his hat lying next to him, the wind having drifted it over there, she managed to turn him over. Dusting his chest off, she pressed her ear to his chest, checking for a heart beat. She gave a sigh of relief, hearing the steady thump of his chest. It was a bit low, but there nonetheless. Looking around, Nozomi noticed the rocks she had climbed over and decided to drag him over there, so that he had something to lean against. Grabbing his hat, she went over and placed it on one of the rocks before going back and dragging him over.

Gently getting him into a sitting position, she eased him back to where his back was resting comfortably against the large rock behind him. Getting a handkerchief out of her right pocket, she ran over to the sea, got it wet, and ran back over. Kneeling down before him, she gently and carefully began to wipe away the sand on his face, revealing more of his features. He looked very peaceful as he was resting, or so it appeared. She continued to clean him, going from his face, to some of his hair, to down on his shoulders. Noticing that her handkerchief was getting gritty and not really whipping much away, she returned to the sea's edge, rinsed it, re-soaked it, and returned to finish the job.

As Nozomi busied herself with cleaning the unknown man, she failed to notice that he was becoming highly aware that someone was near him. On his waist, there was tied a golden hilted black sheathed sword. Camouflaging his movements, he slowly unsheathed his sword, doing it as slowly as possible to avoid the noise it usually made of the metal scrapping.

"Oh…it's all gritty again… Let me go wash it off…" Nozomi said quietly, not wanting to wake him up if he was sleeping.

Getting up, she left to the waters' edge again, giving the man a chance to open his eyes and glance towards that direction. Having just woken up, having blacked out from exhaustion, his vision still swam. However, from the sound of the voice that had spoken, it was clearly a woman, not a man, that was there. Seeing her stand back up, he quickly closed his eyes, acting as if he had never opened his eyes before.

Hearing her return and kneel down beside him, she was about to continue cleaning when he suddenly grabbed her right wrist, his sword fully drawn and pressed gently against her throat, his golden eyes narrow as he glared at her.

"Who are you?" He asked coldly, tightening his grip on her wrist, causing her to cringe slightly in pain.

-And that is the end of chapter one... Not very long, but enough to hopefully keep you interested. I also wanted to issue a warning to you readers. I feel it is important to warn you, my readers, that my chapters will vary in length, as well as frequency. So, I hope that you understand, and I hope you enjoy! I look forward to your reviews! ^^


	2. Chapter 2 - Introductions

Hello once again everyone, and I'm glad I got the reviews that I did. It...means more than anyone could guess. So, once more, I say thank you...from the bottom of my heart...

Now! To avoid getting all mushy, this chapter has more dialogue, definitely, but it definitely protrays their characters a bit more... At least, in my opinion. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and can't wait to read the reviews~!

As a bit of an after thought, I wanted to remind everyone reading that this is OLD. I have yet to get to the more recent parts... which, by the way, is a notable difference... Feel free to give me any suggestions you think might work for the story, since there are still some holes in it, though I know the general direction I want it to go... So...yeah! ^^

**Disclaimer:** I do _not_ own YYH, any of its characters, or its right. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things. **  
**

And now, for the next chapter~

"I…My name's Nozomi…" She managed out, her fear edging at her voice.

He still glared coldly at her, as if deciding if she were telling the truth or not.

She blinked, seeing the golden color in his eyes. She knew that he was waiting for something. Wondering what it was, she just followed her instincts on what to say, like she usually did.

"I…I came here to this small beach…just by myself… And I was just standing over there when you washed up on shore… You coughed, which caught my attention, so I ran over to help, but you had passed out already." Her fear had disappeared. All that was left was her deep care for helping a person in need. The man must have noticed for his eyes grew colder and even narrower. "I'm the one that dragged you over here, away from the waters' edge. You had gotten sand all over you, so I was just cleaning it off…" She finished in a murmur, feeling sadness suddenly as she realized that he was most definitely not believing her by the look he was giving her. She sighed, slouching down on her knees as she sat before him in the sand. "Kill me if you're going to, if that'll make you feel better…"

He continued to glare at her for a few moments before he backed away, re sheathing his sword. Ignoring her completely, he attempted to stand, struggling as he did so. Watching him, surprised he had backed off in the first place, she grew panicked.

"You mustn't try and move yet! You're still too weak!" She said, standing up herself as he used the rock behind him for leverage.

"Shut up, shrew!" He barked, pushing her roughly aside as he tried to take a few steps forward. Giving a small cry of pain as he clutched his abdomen suddenly, the man sank to his knees, his eyes shut tightly.

"I am _not_ an ill-tempered or vicious woman!" She cried, then saw him in pain and gasped, kneeling down next to him and wrapping her arms around him, supporting him.

The man opened his eyes slightly, watching her help him, not to mention get so close to him.

"Here…let me help you lay back down…" She offered, and, being as weak as he was, he reluctantly agreed.

Grunting slightly as the pain relieved itself as he lay back down, he turned his eyes to the girl, who had gone to soak the handkerchief once again and was bringing it back. Folding it, she gently placed it on his forehead, allowing the cool water to drip down his seemingly feverish face.

Sitting back down next to him, she sighed, lowering her head slightly.

"Tell me, Nozomi, what are you, exactly?" The man asked suddenly, attempting at a conversation.

She looked up at him, surprised that he had even spoken to her at all. "What….do you mean?"

Blinking, he gave a soft sigh as he leaned his head back all the way against the rock, trying to relieve his massive headache.

"Clearly you are no commoner. You have high class vocabulary."

She blinked, unaware of the fact that she had been using high vocabulary with him. She blushed, knowing that she had been caught. Slouching even more, she lowered her head even more, her eyes covered by her bangs.

"I….how did you know?" She managed to ask, her voice low.

The man scoffed slightly. "Please, spare me your idiocy. If you knew what the word 'shrew' meant, you are clearly someone of high class." He glanced at her with narrow eyes. "Tell me the truth; I can tell when someone's lying."

She glanced up at him, clearly thinking about it. Sighing heavily, she finally responded after a long and uncomfortable silence, "I will tell you who I really am when the time comes."

The man straightened his neck, half glaring at her, half staring at her. "Impressive. You've managed to stand up to me twice already, and I barely know you. Not to mention that you barely know me."

She stared back into his eyes, her mind blank, yet her mind was working behind the blank wall.

"May I ask you something?"

The man looked away. "You're bound to ask me more than one question, so you might as well. I'm not going anywhere any time soon, apparently." He replied bitterly, his eyes narrowing as he focused on a small crab moving along the rocks.

"Who are you really?"

The man's eyes were on her in an instant, his gaze boring into her, as if surprised she had even bothered to ask such a question.

Instead of getting angry, he grew curious. "Why do you ask?"

"As you said about me, you talk too high class to be a commoner. And yet, you are a pirate captain, which is impressive."

The man now stared at her openly, surprised. "Captain? You knew I was a captain?"

"I figured it out." She replied, shrugging lightly. Reaching up, she got his hat and lowered it so that it rested gently on her lap. "Your hat washed up next to you after I had found you…" After rotating it slowly in her hands, she handed it back over to him.

He took it back, his eyes still on her. "As for your question, I shall give you my name, but nothing else."

"Fair enough." She replied, smiling gently.

Raising an eyebrow, he said quietly, "My name is Youko Kurama, but you may call me Youko." He replied, nodding in courtesy, more or less. "Seeing how people call my younger brother Kurama now…" He added more quietly, glad that she didn't notice.

"Nice to meet you, Youko Kurama." She smiled again, her eyes closing as she did so. "My name is Nozomi, but my friends call me Rose."

Youko's left eyebrow rose, watching her curiously. "Oh? You consider me a friend already? We barely know each other."

"True, but you're not going to be socializing, right?"

He gave a small nod, impressed by her knowledge. Reaching up, Nozomi checked the rag and noticed that it had gotten warm and the water was almost all gone. Gently grasping it from his forehead, she stood and went back to the waters' edge to rinse and soak it again, repeating her little routine. When she had grabbed the rag, Youko had felt just how soft her hands were, and watched her closely.

Clearly, she was dressed in commoners clothing. But, obviously, she was definitely not a commoner. Seeing how she walked to get back over to him, she carefully folded her cloth and placed it on his forehead, giving a friendly smile as she sat back down. Behind her, in the background, the sun was beginning to set.

Looking past her, looking more to the horizon than anything else, Youko gave a small sigh. "I wonder how far away I drifted from the ship…" He muttered, not meaning for her to hear him.

She glanced over her shoulder at the horizon, then at the sun set. "I haven't seen any signs of a ship near here… But, it is a nice sunset…. Sunset!?" She said quietly, then added more loudly as realization set in, her eyes widening in shock. "Oh my god! Is it that late already!?"

She stood up quickly, pacing back and forth, as if deciding whether she should leave or stay.

Youko watched her curiously, yet coldly. "Why the rush? Under curfew, eh doxy?"

She stopped dead and turned sharply to him, her eyes suddenly stone cold. "_What_ did you just call me?" He remained silent, smirking amusedly. She walked forward, almost getting in his face. "_What_ did you just call me?!"

He raised an eyebrow and turned his head away, yet glanced at her through the side of his eye, still smirking.

"If you already know, why bother me to repeat it, wench?"

Nozomi, not able to control her anger, slapped him. The sound echoed across the sea and away, seemingly towards the horizon and beyond.

With her body trembling in anger, she said quietly, "Let's get one thing straight, Youko Kurama. I don't care who you think you are, and I don't care who you think I am. _But_, you have _no_ right to disrespect me after I took the time to help you before you drowned in the sea. And, let's get another thing straight! I am _not_ attractive! I_ hate_ it when people say that! They call me pretty, gorgeous, and worst of all, beautiful! I know I'm not ugly, but it pisses me off because I can't see what you, apparently, are capable of seeing! Now, if you _don't_ mind, DON'T SAY IT AGAIN!"

She whirled around and ran off, leaving a stunned Youko staring after her, his left hand on his left cheek.

"Talk about fierce…" He chuckled to himself as he gently massaged his tender cheek. "And to think that such brute force…belongs to the princess…."

-And that marks the end of Chapter 2. I am going to be adding a few definitions, however, so that you have a better understanding of a few nautical terms.

**Shrew -** _ill-tempered, nagging, troublesome, or viscious woman._

**Doxy - **_A term for a young woman connoting feminine charm, sexual allure, or a tendency toward sexual promiscuity._

**Wench - **_The term was used literally to refer to a prostitutevbbefore it came to be used more figuratively to refer demeaningly to ang young woman or girl._

This information came from the book "The Pirate Primer", by George Choundas. (I own the book, but am not the author and thus claim no rights.) It has helped me on and off in a jam as I've written this and the other story, so I hope you enjoy learning a few new nautical words. ^^ Anyways, please R&R~!


	3. Chapter 3 - Distracted

_Hello once again, everyone! I wanted to thank all of my reviewers, as well as my followers for liking this story so much. As I said before, it was written in honor of the friendship me and my best friend (at the time) had. She is Leiko, and I am Nozomi. (Though we both wished we were as cool as our characters. lol) Silly dreams of silly girls... but, we've both grown now, and have...how to say...drfited apart. Still, in honor of the friendship we had for SOOO long, plus the fact that I really want to finish this, for the both of us, I am determined to successfully finish this fanfiction. To my friend, I salute you. As for me, I will continue to cheer myself on until I have accomplished my mission. ^^ Wish me luck, everyone!_

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH, any of its characters, or the rights. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things.

_And now for the chapter! Enjoy~_

-With Nozomi at the castle

Nozomi ran into the castle, ignoring the stares and gasps of shock as she practically flew past them in her normal clothes. A few cries of 'Princess!' followed her as she ran into her bedroom and slammed the door shut, ignoring everything else that happened around her. With tears slowly rolling down her face, she almost collapsed on her large comforting bed and sobbed, not believing what had just happened.

-3 Hours later, Dinner time

Wearing a cream colored blouse and a long white skirt, accompanied with white sandals, Princess Nozomi sat at the head of the dinner table, a few other lords and their wives seated there as well.

An elderly man, sitting to her left, noticed her distant, somewhat haughty glare as she quietly ate her soup.

"Your highness, may I ask a question?" He asked softly, not wanting to draw attention to this.

Glancing up at him, she smiled softly before replying, "Of course. Feel free to ask me anything."

"Why is it you appear to be…I'm not sure what the proper word to describe it as… Oh...now let's see… In anger?" He finished, having to think about it due to his age and forgetfulness.

Blinking, Nozomi absently stared at the old man, taken by surprise. "Anger?"

"Yes, you appear to be…upset, about something." He paused, seeing her blank, yet confused, look. "Would you care to talk about it?"

Blinking a few more times, not realizing that her emotions showed completely clearly on her face, she shook her head and smiled sweetly. "No, no. I'm fine." Seeing his unbelieving look, she continued, "Really, I'm fine. Although, I'm not all that hungry, to be honest."

"Then you should go rest." He suggested, taking a sip of the red wine that lay in a crystalline glass before him.

Glancing down at her food, she returned her gaze to the old man, the blank look still on her face. One would usually think that she was slow, or un-registering when she looked like that. However, those near her knew that, if they looked into her eyes, she was debating, or trying to figure something out silently. She tended to do that a lot, surprisingly.

"You know, I think I'll go rest, as you suggested. Thank you for your advise, kind sir." She said with a smile, standing up.

Seeing the princess standup suddenly, the others quickly tried to stand, but she held up a hand to stop them.

"No, please. Enjoy your meal. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm not feeling well this evening. I hope you can forgive me and come again once I'm feeling better. My advisor will bid you farewell. Have a good evening." She announced with a smile before turning and disappearing into the kitchen, although the guests did not know that.

Inside of the kitchen, Nozomi spoke with the head chef, surprising him somewhat.

"You want me to _what_?" He asked, his eyes widening slightly in shock.

"Gather all of the left over food back here, that's good enough, and fit it into that box over there." She repeated, pointing to a rather tall box. It was perfect for hiding behind someone's back, being tall and not wide. Especially for the princess, since she was skinnier than her friend Leiko. "Please? It would do me great to have it done…"

The cook eyed her suspiciously. He was one of her trusted friends, and they both knew each other well, including how to annoy and upset each other. Making sure that the kitchen area was completely clear, the head cook returned to eying her carefully.

"And, why is it you need this done?"

"Because I would like to dine on your wonderful food in my room." She replied, smiling up at him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Really… Then, why put it in a box? And, why wouldn't you just let one of the servants take it to you? That way you don't have to lug it all the way back there."

Nozomi mumbled somewhat, having been caught somewhat. "But…I do need the food…" She finally mumbled, looking up at him with large cerulean colored eyes.

"Yeah, yeah… You probably need it to help some other person, don't you?" He asked, turning back to the stove so that he could finish cooking what he was boiling in the first place before helping her.

"Sort of…" She replied casually, placing her hands behind her back as she looked over his shoulder at what he was cooking.

Glancing back at her, he heaved a heavy sigh. "Fine, you win… Hold on a sec…"

-A few minutes later

"Thanks a lot!" Nozomi said as she strolled off, carefully carrying the full basket.

Waving her off from the back kitchen door, the head cook sighed. "What am I going to do with her? Ah, well. She's good company, not common in most princesses. Oh well, back to work…" Turning, he returned to his work, twirling his ladle spoon as he whistled a tune as he went back to work.

_-And that is the end of Chapter 3. I know, I know, it's short... But, hey! That's why I'm uploading the next chapter right away! ^^ I don't know if anyone noticed, but for the first chapter, I uploaded it on a Friday. And then last week, I uploaded Chapter 2 on a Friday. I was trying to wait until this Friday, but since I have 5 followers now, I felt like honoring your curiousity for this story and giving you two for the time of one! : D Yay~ lol I hope you enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review! I want to know your opinions! I need to know how crappy I was, to how I am now! (You can tell, or maybe it's just me, that how I talk is definitely different than how I spoke back then... Just check how I used to talk for ARAAR, and you'll see what I mean.) I can't wait to get to the later chapters! (Where you can **REALLY** tell the difference!) ...I should really wrap this up. I wouldn't want to bored you guys to death. Haha!_


	4. Chapter 4 - Under the Starry Sky

_Welcome to Chapter 4! I hope the transition wasn't too bad. Haha~ Anyways, I wanted to make this brief. This chapter focuses more on Nozomi and Youko. I'm telling it to you straight out. Yes, it is "a bit" OOC for Youko, but you know what? I don't care... lol It was written long ago, and I am planning on changing it in the future. But, right now, I really don't care... So, if you're gunna comment on how "He would never act like that!" Again, I repeat, I don't care... I am aware of this, and yet what's more important is that you enjoy the work of writing as a whole. Understood? Good! Now, let's get on with this chapter! (It's a long one! ^^)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own YYH, its characters, or the rights. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things._

_And now, on with the chapter!_

-At the beach

Actually going down the path to the secret beach, Nozomi paused near the sandy bottom, looking towards the rocks to see if the man was still there. It was well into the night now, and the moonlight barely made it past the large cliff that was right behind the large rock fall. With her hands behind her back, holding the finely crafted box with even hands, she craned her neck to see if that man was still here, or if he moved on.

"You're finely dressed." A voice spoke suddenly, causing her to jump slightly.

Looking towards the rocks again, she now noticed Youko's' golden eyes upon her, seeing as how she was in the moon's light, and he was in the shadow of the cliff. She tilted her head to the side slightly, her cerulean colored eyes watching him curiously.

"I was wondering if you'd gone…"

"I'm in no shape to be traveling, as you so _kindly_ mentioned before." He replied quietly, closing his eyes as he said it, putting audible emphasis on kindly.

"Hm…" She paused, then looked up at the moon, then down at the sand before her, currently standing on the last large cobblestone before the expanding sand.

Youko watched her closely, noticing how both of her hands were behind her back. With his eyes narrowing, he remained silent, waiting for her to do something.

"You know, the night sky is really beautiful tonight…" She sighed, a small smile on her face. Making sure that the tall basket was well hidden behind her back, not to mention balanced on her right hand. She used her left hand to carefully scratch the bridge of her nose.

"What is it you're hiding?" He asked, knowing that she was purposefully changing the topic now, in a failed attempt at a conversation.

A light blush stained her cheeks as she knew she was caught. "Uh…well…" She now had both hands behind her back once again, shifting from foot to foot nervously. She blushed a bit more and looked down to the side. "I…I brought you some food…because I thought that you might be hungry…" She managed to mumble, blushing a little more.

Giving a slight grunt, Youko stood from where he was seated and made his way over, having gotten most of his strength back, but not all of it. Walking out into the moonlight, he approached the shy princess; she was still looking down near the side. Looking up, she saw him standing in front of her, watching her closely.

"Why do you go through such lengths for me?" He asked, somewhat coldly.

She seemed kind of taken aback by that question. "Can't a person be nice to others naturally, without question?"

"Not after you slapped me earlier…" Youko replied quietly, glaring amusedly at her.

Nozomi blinked, having forgotten all about that. "Oh yeah!" She gave a slight blush of embarrassment as his eyes flashed. "Hehe…sorry… Did I hurt you?" She asked, looking up at him with large eyes.

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Blushing again, she decided to actually move on with giving him the food. Balancing it on her right hand, she brought it out from behind her back and rebalanced it in front of her, smiling at him as she held it out to him.

"I brought a lot, since I don't know what you like, and in case you were injured, I also put in some bandages, and a few drinks as well." She thought it over. "Oh! And I also placed a blanket in there. It can get cold here sometimes."

"You really did think of everything, didn't you Princess?" He asked, smirking as he crossed his arms.

His smirked broadened as he saw her blush, lowering her arms slightly as her gaze fell to the floor. "How….when did you find out…?"

"After I called you 'doxy'. No one, besides one with Royal background, and pirates, of course, know the actual meaning of the word." He gave a soft chuckle as he looked at her, his left hand gently covering the left side of his face. "I must say…I'm impressed… That had to be one of the hardest slaps I've ever received…and I've had plenty."

Blushing even more, Nozomi closed her eyes tightly and merely handed the box out to him, not wanting to continue with the conversation. Chuckling again, he took the box, holding it carefully. Weighing it in his arms, he glanced up at her.

"How is it a princess can carry something this heavy all the way down from the castle?"

Blushing still, her eyes concentrating still on one spot in the sand, she replied in a mumble, "Well…I guess I'm not as weak as I thought…maybe…"

Turning slightly, he gave her a small smirk before walking back down the beach and stopping around the middle.

"Would you care to join me?" He called back, glancing over his shoulder at her.

She looked up, surprised. "Would you let me?"

He smirked still. "I don't see why not. You've helped me, whether I liked it or not. I can at least return the favor _somehow_, right?"

Nodding, she went to take a step, but stopped when she saw the sand again. Sighing, she took a decision. However, before she could put her decision into action, Youko had come over and picked her up gently in his arms. Blushing, her arms automatically wrapped around his neck for security, she stared at him in surprise. Smirking amusedly at her, he began walking over to the place where he had put the blanket he found inside on the sand, spread out.

Glancing down at the princess, still with the smirk on his face, he mused, "Princess, are you blushing?"

Naturally, this caused the already shy and embarrassed princess to blush even more, her face almost glowing bright red. Chuckling softly, Youko gently placed the completely flustered princess down onto the blanket and walked around it, then sat down himself next to her.

Sitting on her knees, her head hung with embarrassment, she sat tensely, her fists somewhat clenched. Rummaging slightly through the tall basket, Youko glanced briefly at the still princess and smirked, not able to help himself.

"You can't possibly be this shy."

This caused her to cringe slightly, having once again been read by a complete stranger. Chuckling, Youko took out a small loaf of warm bread and took a bite, tasting it first.

"You didn't poison these, I hope." He said after swallowing his mouthful of bread.

Still in her position, she shook her head. Satisfied, somewhat, he finished eating the small loaf of bread and began searching for some more to feast upon. He paused, his golden eyes landing on the princess once again. Withdrawing his hands from the tall basket, he slowly reached over and gently poked the princess in her side. She jumped, letting out a small 'yeep' of surprise.

Not able to help himself, Youko let out an amused chuckle. "I see, so you _are_ ticklish… How amusing…"

She gave him a sad and hurt filled look, as if he wouldn't stop finding things out about her.

"That's a much better look for you, instead of you being embarrassed." He returned to his searching in the basket. "Do you have anything good in here? Besides the bread?"

Noticing that he was, surprisingly, acting more like a child in a candy store, or digging out of the candy bag, more like it, she couldn't help but smile and take the basket away from him.

"Everything our head chef cooks is good." She told him, somewhat scolding him, as a mother would their child. "Here, I'll lay them out for you…"

One by one, she withdrew the dishes that she had stuffed in there. Once all of the different plates and small baskets of bread were out, she placed the basket aside and smiled, not able to help herself.

"Go ahead, dig in."

Staring down at all of the food, he glanced up at her before grabbing another small loaf of bread and shoving it into his mouth. She laughed a little, not able to help herself once again.

"So, where'd the fearsome pirate run off to?" She taunted, smiling at him with her eyes closed.

"Hmph." He replied, giving her a brief glare before returning to the food. "I could kill you in an instant."

"Yes, but then, who would bring you food? And take care of your wounds? If you're a pirate, you won't find much sympathy here, I'm afraid."

A pause. "Point taken…" He murmured, but not loud enough for her to hear.

As Youko ate, Nozomi's gaze was focused out towards the crashing of the waves, watching them break onto the shore. Sighing, she closed her eyes and looked down, memories resurfacing without meaning to. Noticing this strange change in action and emotion, Youko watched and ate silently, or as silently as possible, currently in the process of devouring an entire fish, carefully pulling the thin bones out first, though.

Opening her eyes, Nozomi looked at him with a motherly kind of smile. "So, how do you like the food?"

Youko didn't reply, pretending not to have heard her. She tilted her head to the side, noticing something unusual for a pirate.

"You're unusually polite for a pirate…"

Youko paused, looking up at her, having finished his fish and having been reaching for another loaf of bread.

"I'm surprised you noticed."

She sighed. "I seem to be doing that a lot lately…"

Whipping his mouth with a napkin that was placed in the basket, he turned his now somewhat serious gaze on her.

"Yes, you have. I'm both surprised and impressed you actually helped me in the first place, instead of turning me in to the authorities."

She looked up at him, seeing the truth behind his eyes. "I'm a kind hearted person, who can't take life, or see blood for that matter… Not a lot of it, anyway. I help the people that I see are in trouble…" She smiled up at him. "You're included. I don't care if you've murdered others or not. I trust you…"

Youko didn't reply, nor gave any form of motion that showed that he had heard her or acknowledged what she had said.

Watching him curiously, she couldn't help but ask something that had been on her mind since he had told her that he knew she was the princess.

"If you don't mind… Do you think you could tell me who you really are?" She asked tentatively, clearly not really expecting any form of reply.

Glancing at her, Youko sighed before lying back on the blanket, placing his arms behind his head in an attempt at getting comfortable. Staring up at the starry sky, a distant look in his eyes, he murmured softly,

"I'd rather not talk about it...at least...not at this moment..."

Nozomi looked at him curiously, wondering why he suddenly looked so sad, but decided not to question it further. She gave a single nod, and turned to look up at the sky as well, her eyes reflecting the magnificence of the heavens.

"No matter where in the world you go...or how bad the situations get...the only thing that never really changes is the sky...and all of the stars..." Youko said quietly, though louder than his last statement.

Nozomi glanced at him, wondering how it was on the outside world, away from her protection, where her life would be in constant danger. She couldn't help but wonder, and she ended up staring off into space, yet physically looking straight at Youko. Sensing her eyes on him, Youko turned slightly to find her staring blankly at him. There was something in her eyes that gave him the thought that she was just thinking, not really trying to stare at him. Looking back up at the sky, he said something to somewhat break the ice, something he rarely did.

"Princess, you surprise me."

Starting slightly, blinking a few times of having been off in la-la land when he spoke, scaring her, she gave him a questioning look.

"You're not talking as much as I expected you to. Even if you are the princess, I'd expected you to bombard me with questions..."

Shaking her head, Nozomi replied, "No, I wouldn't do that."

He glanced at her, somewhat amused. "Are you telling me that you have no questions?"

Blushing slightly, she tilted her head towards the ground as she looked up at him bashfully. "No, I do have questions...but I'm waiting for the right time to ask them... It's common courtesy, right?"

He gave a soft snort, turning back to the heavens. "If only other women had as much common sense as you, Nozomi."

She stared at him, surprised. Sensing her staring at him once again, Youko turned slightly to look at her, wondering what had happened this time. He noticed that she was blushing slightly, and that she looked definitely surprised.

"What?"

"You...you said my name..." She broke out into a broad smile and hugged him suddenly, not caring if he was a pirate or not. She lay across him, in her attempt to hug him, surprising Youko greatly. Taken so much by surprise, he could only blink in both shock and confusion as she still held on, hugging him tightly.

"No one's ever really said my name before..." She whispered, trying not to cry. "No one... Not without the 'princess' in front..." Her voice cracked slightly, so she fell silent. In an even quieter voice, she murmured, "Thank you..."

Already understanding what had happened, Youko's cold eyes had softened, and merely watched her. Giving a soft and inaudible sigh, he slowly, as if hesitantly, wrapped his arms around her. Mid-way through the process of hugging her, he stopped, not able to bring himself to do it. It was a battle for him. A battle of pride over what to do for comforting the one person that was helping him. Instead, he moved his hands and gently placed them on her hips, motioning that he wished for her to get off.

"You're…" He managed out, trying to sound in more pain that he was in. The pressure of her body against his was causing his chest to tighten somewhat painfully, apparently not having yet recovered completely from the hassle of how he got there in the first place.

Gasping in both embarrassment and surprise, she quickly got off of him, blushing madly.

"Oh! I'm SO sorry! I wasn't even thinking! Ohh…" She babbled, still blushing. Leaning over him, she looked into his eyes, worriedly looking over him, although her face was stained pink. "Are you…okay…?"

Staring back up at her, Youko couldn't think of anything to say. His mind, surprisingly, had gone completely blank. Once again, the inner struggle began. Should he actually laugh about it, or should he act cool, as an attempt to conserve his pride? Seeing how there was no one to prove himself to, except for the princess herself, he decided that just once wouldn't hurt.

Blinking slowly, still staring up into the worried and blushing face of the princess, he soon began chuckling, then it soon turned into laughing. Surprised, Nozomi leaned back so he could sit up. Still laughing, he attempted to sit up, but ended up falling back down, laughing openly. Wondering why he was laughing, Nozomi could only help him sit up as he continued laughing, not able to contain himself. Looking at her, a smile on his lips, he said softly, yet sweetly,

"I thank you for your help, Rose. I'm glad you're here to take care of me."

Blinking, Nozomi's face burned a bright red, taking in what he had just said. Covering her face with her hands, attempting to hide her glowing face, she made a few embarrassed mumbling noises. Laughing lightly once again, Youko sat cross-legged and gently placed his hands on her wrists, moving them slowly aside.

"Why hide your embarrassment? We're friends now, aren't we?"

She stared at him, somewhat intimidated by this suddenly happy pirate man before her. And yet, she knew he wouldn't hurt her on purpose. He was just being so gentle, not manipulative at all. Blushing even more due to how close they currently were, she re-hid her face, not wanting him to notice, though it was kind of hard not to.

"C'mon now, let me see your face…" He cooed, trying to move her wrists again, still gently though.

"Uh-uh…" Came her muffled reply, shaking her head slightly.

"Please?"

"Mm-mn…"

He faked a heavy sigh. "Then I guess I won't tell you who I really am….or how I got here…"

Nozomi peeked through her fingers, seeing him looking away from her and up at the sky, looking somewhat disappointed.

"W-will you really?" She asked slowly, causing him to look back at her.

Glancing at her, his golden eyes glowing slightly in the dark evening, he gave a small smile.

"Not who I am, but I will tell you how I got here."

Slowly, she lowered her hands, still feeling bashful. Nodding his approval, as if proud of her for overcoming her own shyness, however temporarily, he attempted to lie back down, only to grunt in pain.

Growing worried, Nozomi helped him sit up again, watching how he clutched his chest as another wave of pain hit him.

"You're still not completely well… I don't think you'll be able to lie down completely for a while…" She said softly, not liking how he was silently overcoming his own pain. "Maybe…you should lean against something?"

Opening his eyes, he glanced at her, thinking that suggestion over. Feeling another wave of pain, he clutched at his chest again, trying to figure out where the pain was coming from. Panting slightly, feeling his gathered energy seeping away, he decided upon what course of action to take.

Once the pain had gone enough, he said in a slightly pained voice, "Could…could I…lie on your lap?" He asked, glancing at her somewhat hopefully.

Blushing noticeably, not to mention brightly, Nozomi's face went completely blank as she stared at him, taken by surprise.

"My…lap?"

"Yes…" Another wave of pain, but he fought through it, and forced himself to continue. "I…can not sleep lying down, and definitely not when I'm sitting upright..." Another wave of pain. "So…could I?"

Worried for his safety, and definitely not used to these situations, Nozomi fought against her own inner turmoil. She wasn't used to these types of situations. Her shyness was getting the better of her, as it was in most situations. She hated being so shy, she truly did, but she didn't know any other way to be. She had attempted to be as her friend Leiko, but she felt so bad about even thinking about doing it, she ditched the entire idea before she even tried. And yet, her kind hearted self was practically screaming at her not to miss out on this opportunity to both help the poor suffering man and gain his trust at the same time. Deciding that she wouldn't miss this chance, she firmly decided on her next course of action, though the mere thought of it caused her to blush greatly.

Gently placing her hands on his shoulder, she carefully and slowly turned him so that his back was facing her, then slowly leaned him back, his head resting against her chest.

Still blushing immensely, she managed to force herself to ask, "A-are you….feeling….better….?"

After a few moments' pause, Youko opened his eyes and looked up at her, surprised she had even done such a thing. He gave a small nod, not wanting to talk for fear the pain may return.

She nodded, a somewhat determined look on her face, though it was obviously putting more strain on her than she thought it would.

"Good…. Tell me if you start to hurt anywhere again….okay? I'll do my best to help you."

Youko, being highly perverted, immediately thought of something she could 'help' him with. Inwardly shaking his head, again fighting with himself, he fought with his body to not do anything involuntary. Instead, he concentrated on the feeling of warmth and her soft hands holding him up, so that he wouldn't roll over. He snuggled further in slightly, hearing her heartbeat. It was rather soothing, even if it was beating rapidly due to her current situation. He soon found himself drifting off into a peaceful sleep, one that he hadn't had in years.

Noticing that his breathing had become softer and less pain-filled, Nozomi's body grew less tense, holding onto him more tightly. She suddenly grew worried. She was currently sitting on her knees, and she would need to stretch her legs soon. Trying not to move him much, she attempted to move them, only to fall backwards somewhat, still holding onto him. Youko still had a peaceful look on his face, which gave her peace of mind. Ignoring the fact that she was wearing nice clothing, she leaned back on the sand, holding him close to her. Smiling softly, she soon fell asleep, her head resting gently on the blanket that was there.

_-And that is the end of Chapter 4. I hope this can last you until some time next week when I have the time again to upload another chapter. I'm going to try to post at least one chapter per week. At least until you're all caught up with what I'm currently working on... This is about half of page 18 out of, currently, 66. So, we have quite a bit to go. (And this is only chapter 4. ^^;; ) I hope you guys continue to read my fanfiction, and I look forward to reading your reviews!  
_

_**After thought:** I just noticed that this chapter is over 4k. o-o Holy crap! This may be the longest chapter of the whole thing! But, then again, it's way too early to tell if it is the longest chapter of the ENTIRE story since it hasn't been finished yet. Haha~ I wanted to take the time to once again thank you all for your time in reading this, and the past chapters, and your reviews are really appreciated. (Yes, I'm aware that I'm repeating myself...) I love reading the reviews. ^^ It lets me know you're actually interested in what I write. I take pride in my work, you know? Thank you for your time!_

_Much love!_  
_Nozomi Kajuji_


	5. Chapter 5 - Day of Fun

_All right, everyone, this is chapter 5! This one is a bit of a weird one, because everyone is just...well, free. Haha. You'll see what I mean._

_Disclaimer: I do not own YYH, its rights, or any characters. The only thing I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things._

_Enjoy~_

-The next day (Around sunrise)

Youko slowly opened his eyes, not remembering anything from the night before. Sitting up, he felt somewhat sore for having slept on the hard floor, which was unusually squishy. Looking down, he remembered everything in a flash. Lying next to him slept Nozomi, who looked somewhat peaceful in her sleep. He studied her expression, and noticed that she appeared to be worried about something. He suddenly realized that she had stayed with him throughout the entire night. Something about how she looked sleeping next to him peacefully got his mind racing with ideas about what to do with her.

Grunting slightly, he looked away, off towards the now raising sun. "Get a grip, Youko….she'd never go with you…. She's a princess…"

Mumbling slightly, Nozomi gave a sleepy 'hmm?' as she tried to sit up. Noticing Youko already sitting and watching her curiously, she sat up quickly, completely worried about him.

"Youko! How are you feeling?" She asked, looking at him with concerned eyes.

Youko blinked; surprised she had gone there straight away. He supposed that it was true that she had a very kind-hearted heart, and that she did care about everyone that was in need.

"Why do you care so much for me?"

She blinked, taken aback at the question. "Why?" She gave a soft smile. "Because, I care."

Those words struck him, and struck him deep. His mother had said those words to him so many times when he had asked her, so harshly, why she even bothered with him.

Inwardly shaking his head, Youko turned sharply away, now glaring coldly at the slowly raising sun.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to the castle?"

Blinking, looking at the sun, she suddenly stood up, her face flustered and completely red, she looked down at her clothing.

"Oh! Crap! I have a meeting today! Oh, no! What am I gunna do?! I have to take care of you!" She cried, turning from left to right repeatedly as she tried to make up her mind.

Her saying that stabbed at him deeply yet again. She needed to take care of him? In place of her meeting? How strange… Glancing up at her, he glared coldly at her.

"I can take care of myself, just hurry and go."

Stopping her frantic turning, she stopped and stared at him. "But…I would rather take care of you…"

"_Why_?" He asked, more coldly this time. "_Why_ even bother when you have more important things to do?"

She fell silent, not able to explain it any other way than she had already done. Sighing, she turned and began walking away, her clothes having sand all over them. Not caring any more about getting dirty, she sighed heavily as she slowly walked away in defeat, hearing in his tone of voice that he didn't want her there anymore.

-At the castle

Climbing up the vines that led down from her window, she quickly entered her room, took a quick shower, changed clothes, and was finishing brushing her hair, planning on leaving it loose with only a small amount tied elegantly in the back, when one of her advisors entered hurriedly.

"Madam! We're running late!" He cried, running over and showing her his clipboard.

"Oh, come now... We can't possibly be _that_ late, could we?" She asked, not bothering to even glance at it. Finishing putting on her earrings, which she also loathed, she stood up, brushed herself off, and began walking out the door. "Let us go, shall we?"

"Yes ma'am!" He replied, quickly following his princess's naturally fast pace.

"Tell me, who will be attending the meeting?"

"Well, uhm...let's see..." Flipping through a few pages, he seemed to find the page and, adjusting his rimless glasses, read from the list, "The Duch and Duchess from the neighboring country... The King of the Salt city will be there... Oh, and it appears as if Princess Leiko and Prince Yusuke will be there as well."

Nozomi smiled, knowing that this would be an interesting meeting after all if they were going to be there.

"So, it's a small meeting..."

"Yes, it's regarding trade, which is very important for our well nourishment and well being." He continued, acting as if she didn't know.

"I'm well aware of that, Cliton. If you forgot, I'm the one that saved you and gave you proper shelter off of the streets." She replied, smiling slightly at him, causing him to blush slightly in embarrassment and hang his head in shame.

"Yes...that is true..."

Standing outside of the double doors, Nozomi made sure that her dress was on correctly, having put it on in a hurry. It was on perfectly. The different shades of blue on the dress matched her eyes, and contrasted well with her light brown hair. The edges were white and thin, not at all frilly. Those were even harder to put on, so she had decided to put on the least difficult dress, along with the nicest enough looking one for the meeting. Taking a deep breath, she opened the doors and entered, holding herself high, even if she felt horrible today.

Taking a seat at the head of the table, she flashed a smile at Leiko and Yusuke, two of her best friends, who sat to either side of her, since she had ordered it that way. (Ordered the people with the seating arrangement, not her friends.) Folding her hands neatly before her, she glanced around the table.

"All right, let us begin the meeting..."

-2 hours later

"What do you mean 'no'?!" Leiko cried, slamming her fist onto the black marble table. "Our lands need this, and you say 'no'?! How would you feel if we said no to the fish my father and Nozomi give to you guys!? Will you just throw it all to waste?!"

Nozomi sighed. "Yes, I must agree with her. Why are you suddenly backing out of this deal? Everything was going fine until now..."

"Yeah, and my fathers' actually being generous about it." Yusuke added, glaring at the man across the circular table, who appeared to be in his early twenties. "And I'm sure Nozomi's giving you everything she possibly can, without starving her own lands. Right?" He glanced at her. Seeing her nod, he turned back to the man. "You see?"

"And even so..." Nozomi added quietly, looking down slightly. "My people are complaining about the amount I give to your people..."

"That's because you give too much, Nozomi-chan." Leiko told her, looking somewhat worried at her, saying this on purpose. "You're too kind sometimes..."

"I know..." Nozomi replied with a sad smile. "But, I can't help it... It's just...who I am..."

Seeing the situation, the man sighed heavily. "Very well then, I shall not terminate the deal. I can see how much you care for the villagers, and I wouldn't want that to go to waste." He looked up and smiled gently at Nozomi. "I wouldn't want such beauty to break..."

Both Leiko and Yusuke glanced quickly at their friend, knowing all too well she hated it when the nobles tried to flirt with her, calling her pretty, when she thought she wasn't; that she hated it.

Standing up slowly while placing her hands gently on the table before her, Nozomi glared coldly at the man, surprising him. "King Kuan. I respect you, and think highly of you and the decisions you make. However..." She gritted her teeth in anger. "Don't you _dare_ try flattering me! I am in a position to terminate all trades between our countries, but I will not. I had a good friendship with your father, and I wouldn't want to disappoint him, along with you. Now, take kindly to my request, and _never_ mention my 'beauty' again." Turning sharply, she walked out of the room, slamming the doors shut behind her.

Glancing at each other, Leiko and Yusuke quickly stood and hurried after her. "See you guys later!" Leiko called out, leaving first.

Yusuke paused at the doors, holding one open. "Sorry about that, folks! Thanks for the business, see ya!" And he left, running to catch up with his sister.

-At the public beach several hours later

As Nozomi, Leiko and Yusuke all ran on the beach, all three were clearly much happier than they had been at the meeting. They ignored the surprised looks they received from the villagers there. Nozomi and Leiko were splashing at each other, laughing as they got each other. Yusuke would appear out of no where and attack them both, sending all three of them down into the water. Kuwabara had joined them after the meeting, and he was currently flirting with a young girl with sea foam green hair and shinning red eyes.

Laughing, Nozomi managed to sneak out of the water, her one-piece blue bathing suit soaking wet. "You guys are so silly!"

"Hey!" Leiko shouted suddenly, allowing her brother to fall down into the water again and point accusingly at her. "Where the hell do you think you're going?!"

Growing nervous, Nozomi took a tentative step backwards. "Uhh...to the bathroom?"

"You can go in the water!"

Nozomi sweat dropped as she heard those words and planned on not making a reply. Kuwabara, however, overheard the exchange and pointed at Leiko.

"That's sick, Urameshi!"

Leiko shrugged. "Eh, what're you gunna do about it? I have this lump for a bro." She said, shoving Yusuke in the back so that he fell face first into the water once again.

Nozomi, glad that the spotlight wasn't on her anymore, turned to leave when Leiko turned an icy glare to her.

"Hey! Don't think I forgot about you!"

Again, Nozomi sweat dropped. "Eheh..." taking another step backwards, she noticed that her best friend took another step forward, never lengthening their gap.

Leiko's left eyebrow began to twitch. "You _better_ not run away from me..."

Turning quickly, Nozomi began running for the bathrooms, knowing that her friend wouldn't be able to catch up in time, **hopefully**. Though, with Leiko, no one ever knows for sure. Seeing her friend beginning to turn, Leiko let out a very loud and echoing 'HEY!' before taking off after her friend, gaining speed, as was her friend.

Knowing that her friend would catch her before she got to the bathrooms, Nozomi pivoted on her right foot and dashed off to the left, causing Leiko to do the same when she got to that point, still gaining.

Looking over her shoulder, panting heavily, Nozomi called back, "You're never gunna catch me, Leiko! I won't let you!"

"Ani! Stop her! She's trying to escape!" Leiko shouted, ignoring her friend.

Yusuke, having been trying to grab a fish with his hands, looked up, then ran over, quickly blocking her path. His sudden appearance caused Nozomi to skid slightly as she ran into the water, trying to get away from them both. Tripping slightly, she continued running, fighting against the crashing waves in the process. Jumping, Yusuke tried to tackle her to the ground, but she quickly moved out of the way, causing him to take a dive into the water once again. Leiko, noticing that her friend had slowed down to laugh, tackled her down and into the water with a big splash.

With water dripping from her hair, Nozomi sat in the water, the waves washing over her, staring at her friend. Leiko did the same, merely staring back at her. Yusuke, managing to gain his feet again, had waved them away as if they weren't worth his time anymore and returned to trying to grab that elusive fish. Suddenly, Leikos' and Nozomis' ringing laughter could be heard drifting from the crashing of the waves. Both girls held their sides, laughing uncontrollably, not able to help themselves.

_-And that is the end of chapter 5. Hope it wasn't too much of a let down. lol (Sorry, but there's not much for me to say this time around. Just don't forget to review, all right? ^__^) I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_  



	6. Chapter 6 - Change of Abode

_Plain and simple, I've had a shit day, and feel like you guys need some cheering up. Reading your reviews make me happy, so I'm posting earlier than normal. I don't feel like being nice, and formal, and crap... I really just...don't give a damn... I hope you guys have fun reading this chapter. And please, PLEASE, review. Thanks._

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own YYH, its rights, or its characters. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things._

-4 Hours later

That night, Nozomi lay wide awake on her bed, staring up unemotionally at her ceiling. Her expression was completely blank, her eyes seemingly here, yet not here. With a heavy sigh, she sat up, stretching her somewhat sore muscles. With a more content sigh, she stood up, walked over to her closet, grabbed a jacket, and left her room.

-At the small hidden beach

Youko sat, his back leaning against the cliff, his head leaning back against the hard rock. His eyes were closed, his senses open to the elements. Feeling the cool night air drift over the sea and gently caress his face managed to relax him greatly, which he wasn't meaning to. Soft footsteps caught his attention, but he already knew who it was.

"I'm surprised to see you back here, after such an eventful day for you." He said quietly, his voice echoing off of the walls as the footsteps stopped.

Nozomi sighed. "Why do you have to be so mean to me when I come to visit you?" She looked down at him, her tennis shoes protecting her from the sand below. "This is only the second day you've been here..."

Opening his eyes slightly, he looked up at her. "And your point is?"

Sighing again, Nozomi turned and walked over to the waters' edge, careful not to go in it, or be in its way. Closing her eyes, she allowed the cool sea breeze to blow her hair slightly. Opening his eyes further, Youko noticed how it seemed to match her perfectly. She looked so gentle and kind that this look seemed to be made perfect for her.

Feeling eyes on her, Nozomi opened her eyes and turned to him, wondering why he was watching her.

"What?"

"You look beautiful." Youko said quietly, not at all trying to hide this fact.

A flash of anger flashed over her face, and she turned away from him again to gaze back out at the ocean.

"Eh...I really don't think so..."

"And why is that?"

She sighed heavily. "Because...I can't see what other people see...when they call me that... I just...don't see beautiful, or pretty."

"Are you saying you're unattractive, then?"

She laughed a little and turned to look back at him, still with a small smile on her face. "Hah, no. I know I'm attractive. Just...not as attractive as everyone says I am. I know I'm...well...pretty... But, not the overly attractive pretty, you know?"

Youko watched her closely, a straight look on his face, before a smirk broke it. "You're actually asking me? I know nothing of feminine charms or such; however, I do know a beautiful girl when I see one."

Blushing slightly at what he said, she turned her attention back to the incoming capillary waves.

"Well...I'm not sure about that...but..." She looked back at him with a smile. "Think what you want. Thank you for the compliment, though..."

Youko studied her expression. "What makes you shy?"

She jumped at the question. "What makes me shy?" He nodded. She paused, thinking about it. She looked back at him with a blank stare. "You know, I'm not sure... I kind of just am..."

"I see."

A pause. She suddenly looked back at him, curiosity in her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged slightly. "Curiosity, I suppose."

Nozomi sighed, knowing that was the end of that discussion. Looking up at the full moon, she smiled slightly, once again amazed at the beauty of the stars up in the sky.

Youko, still watching her, grew even more curious. "You're acting different."

"What do you mean?"

Youko smirked, breaking his eyes away from her image as he hung his head slightly in amusement.

"You're speaking with less vocabulary than usual."

She looked back at him, her eyes shinning and a bright smile on her face. Winking at him, she said, "Hey, a princess gets a chance to relax too, right?"

Staring at her in both shock and admiration, Youko could say nothing. Noticing that she blushed and quickly looked away, understood that it took a lot to pull that stunt she had just done. Silently standing up, he made his way over to the princess, who had resumed her staring at the stars and moon. Coming to a stop behind her, his eyes focused on the moon itself, he felt more than saw her jump.

Turning slightly, surprised to see him standing so close to her, Nozomi returned to looking back at the stars, though even more conscious of the fact that he was there.

"Tell me…" He began, coming to stand right next to her, his eyes still focused on the sky. "Why is it you continue to come back?"

Nozomi sighed heavily before turning to look at him fully, her eyes filled with both sadness and irritation.

"Let me ask you this, why the hell do you keep asking me the same question?" A pause, in which her eyes narrowed slightly. "Is it so bad for someone to care for someone else? Why can't I freely take care of you? Is that so bad? Have you had no one to take care of you? Is that why you keep asking me? _You_ tell _me_ why!"

Youko studied her expression carefully, his expression devoid of all emotion. "I do not have to answer any of those questions." He finally replied, making no motion of doing anything or saying anything else.

Nozomi could do nothing but glare coldly at him, her body trembling in rage. Not only was he right, but she also had no right to so bluntly ask those questions randomly. Turning sharply, she began walking away, her eyes closed tightly as she did so so as not to see his face.

"Fine. I'll be leaving then." She said sharply, continuing her walk.

Reacting out of instinct, as if unconsciously not wanting her to go, Youko outstretched his right arm and gently caught her left wrist, stopping her in her trek.

"Wait…" he said softly, his eyes softening greatly. "Stay."

She cast him a cold look over her shoulder, glaring at him. "Why should I?"

Taking a step forward, Youko stared deep into her bright cerulean colored eyes. "Because…I'm sorry…"

She paused, taken by surprise by this sudden saying. Blinking, she cast him a suspicious look.

"You're not joking….are you…?"

Taking another step closer, now fully in front of her, Youko gently shook his head. "Not at all. And, just to prove how sorry I truly am…" Bending down, since she was shorter than him by two inches, he gently placed his lips against hers, holding her steady with the grip he still held on her left wrist. He felt her jump in shock and yet, she didn't do anything.

Nozomi's face burned a bright red as she closed her eyes and actually enjoyed her first kiss. His lips were soft, yet slightly plump and smooth. He kissed her gently, not trying to force her entirely into it. As their lips parted, Nozomi opened her eyes and stared into his golden eyes in shock, her face flustered.

Giving a soft smile, which was rare (unknown to her), Youko said softly, "There's my proof…"

Blinking numbly, Nozomi reacted by covering her face with her hands, completely embarrassed. Not only did he practically steal her first kiss, but she had actually liked it. Not even bothering to look up at him, she lowered herself to where she was squatting on the sand, covering her face entirely in both shame and embarrassment.

Watching her actions, Youko couldn't hide a smirk. "I take it that was your first kiss?" Seeing how she wasn't going to respond, he decided to just change the topic, but not forget to use this to his advantage later.

"Why was it that you came in the first place?"

Looking up at him slightly, she stared blankly at him, her mind still lost. She had been trying to recompose herself after the shock, and it had more or less worked. With a soft sigh, she stood up and turned her back to him, her head held up high, but her eyes were closed.

"I was going to take you to the castle."

"Ah, I see… You were planning on publicizing that you're helping me…" Youko said quietly, hiding his smirk as he pretended.

Whirling around, as if in anger, Nozomi glared at him, her fists clenched. "No, you idiot! I just thought that you would be more comfortable there than at the beach!"

Glancing down at her, Youko couldn't help but smirk as he leaned forward again, looking more directly into her eyes.

"Is that a fact…?"

Realizing that he had done that on purpose, Nozomi turned around and began stalking towards the stairs, once again embarrassed. Youko, chuckling, followed more slowly, not wanting to push his recovering body past its current limit.

-At the castle

"And this'll be your room." She said quietly, glancing about once again to make sure that there was no one there.

Pacing around the room, Youko glanced about, taking in every detail of the spacious room the princess was so gracious to give him. In the left corner, farthest away from the double doors, lay a queen sized bed, adorned with silver and Alice blue sheets. The curtains that framed the large crystalline windows were a beautiful honeydew color, and were pulled to the sides by thin cords in order for the windows to be open, allowing the night breeze to enter and cool the room. Plopping down on the bed, placing his arms behind his head to increase the comfort, Youko let out a content sigh.

Nozomi cast him a slightly scornful look. "You're welcome…" She muttered, before entering and closing the door behind her. With a sigh, she continued. "I haven't told anyone about you yet… But I'm planning on telling one of my personal maids to take care of you. That way, if you get hungry, you just have to let them know. They'll be sworn to secrecy. Does that sound all right with you?" She looked up as she asked, hoping for a response.

Youko, however, gave a meager shrug and jumped off of the bed using his legs, landing lightly on the floor once again. "Do as you wish, princess. I could honestly care less…" raising his arms into the air, he stretched silently, before he glanced back at her, noticing that she was still there.

With a sigh, noticing that he had expected her to be long gone already, she left, closing the door silently behind her. "You could at least be a little bit more grateful…" She murmured, walking back to her room, which, technically, was right next door, though quite a way down the hall to the left of the room.

_And that's the end of the chapter... Just so you guys aren't left wondering why I've had such a bad day today, I'll explain... I went to sleep Friday night perfectly fine, and awoke Saturday morning with this weird pain on the side of my knee. Not even my knee cap, but the literal side of my knee. So, I went to work anyway, hoping that it went away. Unfortunately, it got so bad that I could barely walk and they sent me home. I worked for 3 hours that day. -_-;; Sunday, I also had to open, but I had to call in sick cause as soon as I started going down the stairs, my knee started to hurt again. Not wanting to miss another day of work, I went to work today. I worked from 2pm to supposedly 10pm, (I clocked out at 11:23pm) and throughout the ENTIRE time I was at work, I had to grit my teeth and smile and wave at the freaking customers that I had to work with... So, I worked over 9 hours in excrutiating pain, with an icy hot patch on my knee, and an Aleve pill I took... And, to make matters worse, when my co-workers asked the closing manager if I could go, she said no because we had a visit tomorrow... So you can imagine my 'surprise'._

_And that, my readers, is why today I could honestly care less about...well...stuff... I hope you guys enjoy this. Oh, and to Selfish Desires, my dearest reader, to answer your question because I forgot to in the last chapter..._

_**Selfish Desires:** No, I haven't edited these. These are the same as when you last read them. ^^ I'm trying to keep it as un-touched as possible so you can see just how much it's changed when I get to the later chapters... ya'know? Glad you like it though, and it's been a while._ Maybe, by chance, you even remember what comes after this chapter...?

_Edit: Wow~! I just noticed that this was over 2k words as well! :O What a shocker! It's probably my fault, but ehh. Enjoy anyways! ^-^ PLEASE REVIEW!_


	7. Chapter 7 - Devastation

_Hello, everyone! I hope you guys are having a great day! I'm going to update today, and I'll be posting another chapter at the end of the week, just so you guys know. Okay? I don't really have much to say, except I'm really glad you guys like this story so much. ^^ It makes me happy to know that, even if it's old, it's still a good story worth the write! lol_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I do not own YYH, any of its charaters, or rights. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things.**  
_

_And with that, let us begin the chapter! :D_

-4 Months later…

It was late at night when Nozomi sat up in bed, having heard something in the distance. She had been reading a book that had caught her interest in the palace library, and was now curious as to what the sound was. Scurrying out of bed, she dawned on her robe and hurried over to the window. Shoving them open, she rushed out onto the balcony. Leaning over the railing so as to see better, she scanned her kingdom. Finding nothing wrong, she grew confused. Hearing another strange noise in the distance, she turned in the direction in which it came, and noticed that it was coming from her best friends' kingdom. There was another strange echoing sound, and that's when she realized that she had recognized the noise. They were canons.

"Leiko…"

Reacting quickly, she rushed back inside and changed clothes, putting on a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Throwing on a random jacket that she had lying around, she bolted out of her room, making sure that no one noticed her.

-5 minutes later…

Leaning against a wall in an alleyway, Nozomi watched as pirates raided the village; breaking windows, stealing jewelry, and taking food. She glanced about, wondering what was going on. She saw a mother rush past, tugging painfully on the arm of a small girl, running away from the pirates that practically jogged behind them, evil grins on their faces. The little girl suddenly tripped, causing her mother to lose grip. With a sudden shout, the mother whirled around, wondering where her baby had gone. Seeing her on the floor, she rushed back over to her and picked her up, but the pirates had already caught up. Dropping to the ground, she protected her child, like a good mother.

"Heh heh… We've got you now…"

'_I don't know what to do… but I have to do something…'_ Nozomi thought desperately, scanning the darkness. Noticing a pipe on the floor out in the open, it having been dropped by one of the pirates that had rushed by earlier, it lay within 5 feet of one of the three pirates blocking the woman and her child.

Taking a deep breath, she ran out. Stooping down, she scooped up the pipe and, in a mighty blow, brought down the pipe on her target's collar bone, causing him to cry out in pain and drop to the floor, yet turn slightly to see who had hit him, as well as the other two pirates.

Noticing that their attention was now on her, she yelled over the noise, "Go! Quickly!"

Nodding, tears of gratefulness in her eyes, the mother stood up quickly and ran off, clutching her young daughter close to her chest. Smiling slightly as she saw that they managed to get away, Nozomi returned to her current situation. She glanced between the three pirates, who slowly approached, all with smirks on their faces.

"So, girly… Ye think we cared so much for tha' lil' un'?" One snarled, his decaying yellow teeth glistening with saliva as it dripped slightly down his chin.

"Yea… Yer much perdier than anyone else we've seen…." Another slurred, taking a large step forward. It was obvious that he was the leader of the group.

The third one stood up, glaring coldly at her. He moved his shoulder a bit, getting it back into place before fully turning and taking up a position next to his other comrades, his cutlass gleaming in the moonlight.

Nozomi glanced between the three of them, shifting her gaze constantly, not knowing where the next attack would come from. With every step they took closer to her, she took one step back, keeping the distance as she frantically tried to figure out what she was going to do. Just as they took a step forward, they heard someone shout, "Fall back! Get back to the ship!"

As the other pirates began scrambling back towards the ship, the three that were there hesitated. They all glared at the young girl before them before turning, reluctantly, and running off towards the ship. Heaving a sigh of relief, Nozomi dropped the pipe and rushed down the cobblestone pavement, heading towards the castle in a panic, seeing its condition. Unbeknownst to her, golden eyes watched her as she made her trek up to the castle.

Bursting into the remains of the castle doors, she rushed about, seeing either severely injured, or dead bodies lying about. Growing frantic, she ran over to one of the guards that looked uninjured.

"Excuse me, but, have you seen Leiko?"

The guard turned to her in shock, not recognizing her, due to the fact that she had put her hood up so as not to be noticed. Seeing his hesitation, she threw down her hood.

"It's me! Nozomi! Where's Leiko? Where's Yusuke? Is everyone okay?"

Relaxing a bit, the guard nodded, knowing now wasn't the time for formalities. "As far as we know, everyone is fine. At the moment we're just trying to find the ones that are still alive, and burying the ones that have lost their lives…"

"But…" She was horrified, fear clutching her heart. She knew something terrible had happened, she just didn't know what. "That's not good enough! Have you seen her? Or Yusuke? How do you know that they're all right?!"

"Calm yourself, princess. I'm sure they're both fine…"

"Rose!"

Whirling around at the sound of her nickname, she saw Yusuke and Kuwabara running towards her. Ignoring the guard, she ran past him and hugged Yusuke, who was like a brother to her.

"Yusuke! Kuwabara! Thank goodness!" She hugged Kuwabara, then pulled away, glancing between the two worriedly. "Where's Leiko? Have you seen her? Is she okay?"

Both boys glanced at each other before glancing back at her, both having sad expressions on their faces. Nozomi knew the answer before they even said it, but still, she just wouldn't believe it. She grabbed the front of Yusuke's shirt, pulling him closer. As she drew him closer, fear clutched her heart tighter.

"What's wrong? Tell me!"

With a heavy heart and incredibly sad eyes, Yusuke gently grasped both of her hands in his and said very softly, "She's gone, Rose… They took her with them…"

There was a moment of awkward silence before Nozomi slowly slumped to the floor, tears rolling down her soft cheeks. She cried silently, her gaze focused on a spot directly in front of her on the rubble filled floor.

-The next day

Back at her rightful palace, Nozomi wandered about like a zombie, her gaze empty. When someone addressed her, she was often slow and unresponsive. In her wandering, however, she entered Youko's room, closing the door silently behind her.

Hanging from a bar on the ceiling, Youko did crunches, his sweat dripping down his muscled torso and down into a puddle on the floor. She watched him silently, her gaze appearing to see through him.

Having heard her come in, he did a few more before grasping the bar with both hands and, after doing a flip, dropped down to the floor with a sigh of satisfaction. Turning his back to her, he calmly walked over to a small coffee table and picked up a white towel. Placing it around his neck, below his long silver hair, and took the part that hung from the right side and wiped his face with it. Now he turned to look at the zombie-like princess, his face expressionless.

After a few silent moments, Youko asked in a quiet voice, "What brings you here, princess?"

After a few more prolonged moments of silence, she replied very softly, "I…don't know…"

With a sigh of slight irritation, Youko picked up a small glass of water on the table and drank, his eyes closed. Once again moving like a zombie, Nozomi walked over to his bed and sat down, her eyes downcast. Silently watching her movements, Youko gave a soft sigh before going over and sitting next to her.

As the moments seemed to tick on by, there was a strange sadness hanging in the air. And then, something caught his attention; a strange noise. His ear twitched to his right, and, looking down, he saw the cause of the noise. It was Nozomi; she was crying. A bit surprised, yet with great hesitation, he scooted about half an inch farther from her.

"Why are you crying?"

She sniffled, her eyes overflowing with tears. "I…I…" She trailed off, her voice cut off by a small hiccup.

With a sigh, Youko wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and allowing her to cry on him. _'I'm getting soft…' _He thought miserably as she hugged him tightly and sobbed openly. _'I have to get outta here… Before I get too soft… But, I can't leave her like this, not now...'_

_-And that's the end of the chapter. I know it's short, but, hey! It's still a chapter! As I'm sure you've noticed, not to mention that I've said it before, this is the exact chapter where the two stories, As Red as a Rose and As Blue as the Sky coincide. That is why I call it the Mirror Story; cause it happens at about the same exact time as ARAAR. Now, that being said, I want everyone to know that the next chapter is going to be an important one. Just to give you a heads up. ^^ I hope you like this chapter, and are looking forward to the next one! Don't forget to review!  
_


	8. Chapter 8 - Swept Away

_Hello, everyone! I hope you're excited about this next chapter, because it's a major turning point for the story! ^0^ I don't have much of anything else to say...so...  
_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own YYH, its characters, or the rights. The only things I own are some of the characters, the plot line, and a few other things.**_

_And now, on with the chapter!  
_

-A few days later, around noon

After crying on him for about an hour two days prior, Nozomi woke up feeling better. She stretched as she yawned, feeling a bit more relieved that she had gotten that off of her chest. Now that she was feeling better, she felt happier. And though she was still worried about her friend, she knew that she could take care of herself, and didn't linger too long on that thought. Glancing out of her large double windows that led out onto her balcony, she was a bit bothered with the fact that it was a cloudy day. She wondered if it was her fault, or just because it was time to rain.

At any rate, she knew little to nothing would cause her to feel bad today. Finally getting out of bed, she went to her closet and picked out one of her many dresses before putting it on, fixing her hair, putting on a simple necklace that her grandmother gave her, and leaving her room. As she walked calmly down the hall, she suddenly realized how deathly quiet it was. Glancing about, she grew curious.

'_That's strange… There's always someone walking these halls… Whether they're at the far end of the hall, or not… Hmm… Where is everyone?'_

She paused in her trek, curious and wondering. She soon began walking once again, heading towards Youko's room. Of all people, she knew he had to be there… There was no where else he could be at, anyway.

"Youko? You there…?" She called, knocking on his door softly. When she heard no response, she opened the door slightly, peeking in. "Youko…?" Opening the door fully, she saw him outside, fully clothed in his pirate clothes, including his hat and boots, on the balcony. His left boot was resting on the railing of the balcony as his arms rested on his knee in a crossed manner, his chest showed slightly through his slightly torn white tunic, and his black pants rustled about in the strong wind. A smirk was clear on his face as he stared out into the bay. Jumping slightly, he turned his head, his smirk disappearing, seeing the princess there, watching him curiously, worriedly. A faint smirk returned, though he doubted she could see it.

She took a step forward, her hands clasped together over her necklace, her eyes filled with worry. "Youko…"

Shaking his head, he turned to face the bay once more, though his gaze remained on the princess, watching her through the side of his eye. After taking a few more steps, Nozomi froze in place, her eyes fixed on what was in the bay. It was a two-masted schooner, with a black and silver flag fluttering frantically at the top featuring the skull of a fox with crossbones behind it.

Taking a half-a-step back, she stared at it, as if horrified. And yet, deep within her very being, she felt a strange sense of excitement at the sight of the pirate ship. The masts were slack, so the wind wouldn't be able to drive it away easily, even if it was on the other side of a cliff. There came a sudden ruckus from the village below, and that snapped her out of her small trance. Rushing over to the railing, she looked down to see her villagers running for the protection of the palace as they were being chased by a gang of pirates.

Beside her, Youko began laughing loudly as he watched. "The time has come at last."

She glanced at him, as if surprised, but she looked back down at her people. They seemed terrified, but she knew she would be as well if she were being chased suddenly if you had been having a nice day. Youko, watching her amusedly through the side of his eye, took off his hat and began waving it at the pirates below.

After a few moments of silence, part of the pirate gang stopped and seemed to be staring at something. Then a joyful holler came from that small group, causing the larger group, as well as the guards at the entrance that were about to bar their way, to look towards them, only to look up to where they were shouting at.

Laughing once again, Youko called down to them in a booming voice, "It seems that you've found me, gentlemen!"

The larger group of pirates had rejoined the smaller one, and were cheering loudly and brashly, overjoyed that they had found their lost captain.

"Cap'pin! It's so good to see ya!" One bellowed, waving his arms from somewhere in the middle of the huddled mass of moving bodies.

Youko laughed once again, the devilish smirk returning to his face. Nozomi watched this, a bit horrified. How could this be happening? Although, it had been inevitable. Of course the pirate crew would be looking for their captain. Isn't that just the way pirates are?

"Toss me up a rope!" He called out, replacing his hat atop his head, his fox ears going through small slits in his hat that had not been noticeable before. Just then, there came a loud crash from within the bedroom. Whirling around, Nozomi noticed that it was her guards, trying to break down the door. They had succeeded enough to manage to get part of the wood to splinter inwards, but that was all. It wasn't good enough for a good shot. They continued to kick and slam the butts of their muskets into the door, trying desperately to get in.

Glancing back at them, Youkos' smirk faded slightly. Reacting quickly, like only a pirate captain could, he quickly snatched the arrow fired towards them with the rope attached out of the air and unwound it. Glancing about, he noticed a church not too far from the palace with a tall tower. Upon further surveillance, Youko noticed that there was a small ledge that would easily hook the rope, making an easy escape. Glancing back at the door, just as he was beginning to swing the rope, he knew he only had a few moments before the door would burst and the guards would come flooding in. Glancing to his side, he noticed that the princess was completely lost, not knowing what to do, or what she could do. With another smirk, Youko launched the lariat rope the distance over to the edge of the church, pulling back at the end of the rope to make sure that it was caught. Grinning, he hopped up onto the railing of the balcony.

Glancing back with a smirk, he asked, "You coming?"

She looked up at him with large cerulean eyes. "Go? You want me to go with you? B-but… I have a kingdom to run!"

Just then, the door burst open, splintered pieces of wood flying everywhere as the guards began to march in, their muskets armed and ready for action. Going upon instinct, Youko reached down, wrapped his strong right arm around the princess' thin waist, while keeping a firm grip on the rope with his left hand, lifted her up with him on the railing, before turning slightly and smirking at the guards, who had stopped dead at the sight of him holding their princess captive.

Grinning at them and their armed guns, he mocked, "You call yourselves guards? You failed at protecting your precious princess!" He looked down at the stunned princess, who held onto his torso tightly, her face pale as she gazed down at the ground below. He spoke softly to her. "Hold on tight, ok?" She looked up at him, fear showing in her eyes. Fear; and something else. "I won't let you fall. Just close your eyes, if you want to feel more secure." Nodding slightly, she held on tighter, having the strong feeling that he was about to jump. She hoped that the rope would hold.

"Put her down, you filthy sea rat!" One of the guards ordered. He was adorned with the armor of an admiral. White armor, trimmed with golden bands around the edges.

"Heh, not in your life." Youko responded, before he held tightly onto the rope and jumped off, his body arching in the swing as he used his body to turn him in the direction he wanted.

The guards on the balcony all rushed to the railings, a few taking aim at the couple as they swung away. However, the admiral kicked one of them in the back.

"You fools! Don't shoot! You could hit the princess!"

Reluctantly, they lowered their arms, watching with heavy hearts as their princess was taken from right under their noses.

Before reaching the ground, Youko let go of the rope and dropped down, catching the princess bridle-style, which caught her by surprise. The other pirates roared at the dramatic entrance. Smirking, Youko scanned them all and said, "Let's go. We don't want to linger and give them time for a proper attack."

Nodding, they followed their rightful captain through the debris filled streets, a few stragglers running to and fro. The smell of burning carcasses filled the air as a few buildings collapsed, their structures weakened by the fire. As they were making their way towards the ship, running through the town square, there came a rush of wind that brought nothing but a deadly silence. Youko stopped, his sharp golden eyes scanning the surrounding area. His crew stopped as well, waiting and watching, but also wondering what happened.

"Cap'pin?" One asked confusedly, turning to him.

But, before he could continue, Youko lifted a fist to silence him, his ears twitching slightly. The princess's feet rested on the floor once again, her arms bent and close to her sides, her hands clenched together just under her chin. His arm was still around her, keeping her close, though she still felt scared. As she glanced around, wondering what was going on, she jumped when she saw her guards jump out of the rubble that surrounded the gang of pirates.

"Unhand the princess, you filthy sea rats!" The admiral ordered, leading the troupe of guards forward.

It seemed that the other pirates had just noticed and recognized that the princess was by their captains' side. A few got a bit closer to her, offering a bit more protection. Noticing this, the admiral clenched his teeth, watching the princess closely. His old heart was telling him that there was no chance for him to save her, but he was going to try his hardest anyway.

Youko, smirking a bit, his gaze resting on the admiral, took a step forward. Immediately, all of the guards surrounding them raised their muskets, taking aim at the huddled group.

"Don't move! Or we WILL shoot!" One of the top guards ordered, stepping forward slightly, coming to a stop just behind the admiral.

It was the wrong thing to do. Youko, now smirking vividly, walked forward a bit, but not far enough for the risk of being separated from his colleagues. Dragging the princess along with him, who still remained lost and confused, he gripped her a bit more tightly at her waist with his right arm.

The guardsmen seemed to get a bit more at edge, seeing him come just a bit closer. They glanced constantly at their admiral, waiting anxiously for any type of signal. However, there would be none. The Admiral knew what was coming, and he knew there was no way he could stop them.

Grinning, his brow furrowed and his fangs showing, he placed his foot forward. "I highly doubt you'd do anything to me, General."

The admiral's brow twitched. "I'm an Admiral… Though, I highly doubt you would know anything about rank, you cur!"

One of Youkos' crew walked up near him. "*Yer as bone-headed as a backwards blowfish!*"

Youko, chuckling a bit, waved him back to the group, which he did, happy to have gotten an insult out.

Returning his gaze to the admiral, he spoke softly. "*You're a bold one in a calm...*"

The admiral faltered, trying to understand what he meant, though he knew what it meant already, having dealt with pirates enough in his lifetime. Smirking a bit more, having succeeded in what he had wanted to do, he took another small step forward.

"Now then, let us negotiate…"

Snapping back to reality, the admiral withdrew his sword and pointed it at him. "Never! What would a pirate know about negotiating?"

Youko's smirk fell. "All right, if you want to play that way... Then…" In a fluid movement, Youko withdrew his right arm from around her waist and grabbed her left arm tightly, pulling her reluctantly closer to him. Pressing her back against him, he quickly withdrew a double-edged dirk and placed it to her neck, pressing slightly.

There was an audible intake of breath that echoed throughout the entire area. The Admiral had taken a large step forward, his face incredibly pale, his right arm outstretched in protest.

"Don't!"

Youkos' smirk returned, his eyes flashing dangerously. He lowered his tall frame to where his chin was just behind her left shoulder, still pressing the double-edged knife to her throat. A small sound of fear escaped her as she felt the sharp knife point barely piercing her skin.

"But I thought you said you didn't want to negotiate…?"

"I don't want to negotiate!"

Youkos' smirk once again fell, his complexion going from calm to deathly serious. His eyes became dark and his face shadowed.

"Then I have no choice." He leaned in a bit closer, whispering in her ear. "How does it feel to be betrayed by those who you thought could protect you….?"

She swallowed loudly, feeling the blade pressing even closer. She tried to arch her back a bit, trying to get it away, but Youko stood firmly behind her, not going anywhere, thus making her attempts futile. Her eyes went frantically over to the admiral, silently asking for him to do something, anything. Then they scanned the other guards, all of whom had lowered most of their guards to look sadly at the ground, knowing they couldn't do anything without them risking her life. She could feel tears welling up inside of her, but she refused to let them show. She was going to be strong.

Having been watching her from near her ear, Youko felt a bit impressed by how she was taking this. Pushing that stray thought away from his main task, he tightened his grip sharply on her arm, causing her to cry out in pain. Immediately, he released such a tight grip, but still kept a firm grip on her. He didn't want to hurt her, it was enough to get the guards attention, so he was going to go with it anyway. They had wasted enough time dragging this out.

"Seeing as how they can do nothing for you, princess, is there nothing you want to say?"

She remained silent, watching the guards with empty, yet sympathetic eyes. As the feeling of sadness continued to rise within her, she lowered her gaze the best she could, looking anywhere but at her guards. Smirking faintly, Youko gave a single nod.

"Then it is time. Say farewell!"

Just as he raised his arm and came down with increased speed, the admiral watched in horror. "NO!" He cried, dropping to his hands and knees, practically bowing before his opponent.

Youko had stopped his hand just before it had reached her throat, watching the man coldly. His grip was still tightened around the small hilt of the dirk, showing that he still could kill her at any moment. Glaring coldly at the man, he spoke softly, not raising his voice for a more sinister effect.

"No?"

The admiral's body shook on the floor, upheld by his hands and knees. "P-please….stop…" A few tears fell to the cobblestones below. Youko relaxed and lowered his arm, but still had it pointed to his captive. Just, not at her throat. The guards held their weapons limply in their hands, watching with such sadness and sorrow. "P-please…don't harm her…" He continued, more tears falling. "J-just take her… Don't harm her… She's too…she's too…" His voice failed, covered up by a choking sob.

Youko did and said nothing. He merely watched the man silently, partially wondering why he was so dedicated to the princess. Once again pushing an unnecessary thought out of his mind for the time being, he turned to his men, still keeping a firm grip on his captive's arm.

"Let's go. We've lingered long enough."

"Aye, Cap'pin!" They chorused, raising their firearms up in the air before running forward and through an opening that the guards had made. They kept their weapons close to them, just in case they needed to defend themselves if they had gotten into a trap of some kind. However, they passed through safely, and waited for their rightful captain at a safe distance away from the guards.

Finding it a moment in which no words were needed, he walked forward towards the opening, practically dragging the princess with him, directing her which way to go with the hand that still gripped her arm. As they passed by the admiral, Youko ignored him and the other guards. The princess, however, watched the admiral sadly.

"I'm sorry, princess… I'm….so sorry…" He whispered, his eyes clenched tightly, squeezing more tears out. They dripped noisily to the floor, a small puddle forming.

Just as they were about to pass by the guards, Nozomi called out. "Admiral!"

He looked up at her, watching as she was being dragged away. She fought him slightly to get a better look. "It's okay!" She called, before tripping slightly. She received a small warning growl from Youko, but she shrugged most of the warning off. Still looking back at the admiral, she forced a smile. "I'll be okay! Don't worry about me!"

Having just about reached the other pirates, Youko swung the princess around, since she had sort of turned herself more to the right so that she could look back at her guards and the admiral. She hit his chest and bounced off, but not far, since a firm grip kept her from spinning too much. She looked up at him, a bit dazed and confused, but sad.

"Enough." He growled angrily, causing her to take a step back in fear. "Be silent or you'll regret it."

They soon made it to the other pirates, and from there, to the ship that lay ready and waiting.

-_That's the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! ^^ __And now, to translate the nautical terms used in this passage...  
_

**_Yer as bone-headed as a backwards blowfis -_**_ Self explanatory_

**_You're a bold one in a__ calm _**_- Used to disparage the addressee's confindence, coomitment, or determination as insubstancial and likeli to evaporate when tested by some actual event or circumstance._

_I do not claim any rights or ownership for the book I used to help me, The Pirate Primer; By George Choundas. I own a copy, but claim nothing.  
_

_Thank you for reading, and can't wait to read the reviews! Oh! I also wanted to mention that I do not plan on letting this story die... It means too much to me. ^^ Thanks again for reading! :3  
_


	9. Chapter 9 - Welcome Aboard

_Seeing as how NO ONE has reviewed to the last chapter, this will be the last chapter for a while. Probably around 2 weeks, that way it gives you enough time to actually REVIEW. Your feedback gives me the want to continue even posting these chapters... If you just STOP suddenly, then there is a loss of interest. Now, don't take this as "I'm never going to post another chapter again". No. I'm just going to stop doing so so frequently. Maybe then I'll be able to get reviews with opinions that I love to read... Hope this gets some responses, at the very least... It's understandable if you're busy. Hell, I have a job, and am usually working. Yet I find the time to read and keep writing to my story... I understand the "no time" concept. Trust me. Well, enough rambling... I'm sure you've had enough of that..._

_Oh, and to help boost your enthusiasm for this chapter, a few new characters make their appearances. Hope you enjoy.  
_

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own YYH, any of its characters, or the rights. The only things I own are a few of the characters, the plot line, and a few other things.**

_And now, on with the chapter._

-At the ship-

The ship bustled with life as they approached. The gang of pirates rushed up onto the ship through the boarding plank and mingled in with the other pirates that roamed the ship, tying knots, moving barrels, and other unseen things. Making sure that he had a firm grip on the princess' arm, Youko began the trek back onto his ship, dragging the uneasy princess behind him. Once they had gotten onto the ship and his feet were firmly set, he felt pride swell from deep within him. He was back on his ship, oh how he had missed it. Snapping out of it, he quickly turned towards the princess, drawing her in close by her arm.

"Listen to me closely. This is no place you want to be hanging around. There is too much going on. Go and hide somewhere. Once we have shoved off, I will find you when it is safe. Now go, and try not to bump into anyone along the way." He spoke quickly and quietly.

After she nodded, he let her go, and she soon disappeared as the men began moving a bit more quickly. They weren't paying attention. Glancing around, Youko easily maneuvered himself through the ropes and through the cargo they were still bringing on board. Smirking as he watched his men work, he continued on towards the captain's quarters, wondering who had taken charge of his ship while he had been gone. As he continued to pass more of his men, he felt even more prideful that they stopped and stared at him, as if they had seen a ghost. With a quick glare, they scurried to get back to work. His eyes scanned everything, studying everything. The layout hadn't changed much, but the way things were organized did indeed change. He was on the alert, his ears standing, waiting to catch the slightest hint of an order. He soon found and heard what he was waiting for.

A lean young man with shoulder length black hair that framed his face, dropped down from the main mast, letting go of a rope that he had used to get down.

"All right! Get ready to hoist the main mast and get the hell outta here!" He hollered, wanting to be heard.

No one said a word, for everyone had already seen their old captain already. They merely did what they were told to do. The young man had what could pass as bandages that were wrapped all around his fore arms, though they were tattered and dirty, they remained where they were. His clothes were beige, and hung loosely on his body. He wore a beige tank top that looked as if the sleeves had been torn off. The shirt went past his waist and stopped about half way down his thigh. His dark brown pants were held up by a black belt that was tied over his shirt. His pants were tucked into his weathered black boots, and he looked proud to be leading them all.

Youko smirked at who was in charge. His first mate, Yomi, had become captain when he had disappeared. It was as it was supposed to be, but now that he was back, it was his ship, and he was back to claim it.

Taking a few steps forward, he crossed his arms. Changing his complexion from a slightly humorous smirk to a dark and somewhat sinister look, he prepared to take back his ship.

"Yomi." He spoke normally, not shouting or anything of the sort.

Yomi's complexion paled considerably under his tan skin as he heard the all too familiar voice. Turning, his black eyes locked with Youko's, and a shadow passed over it. But, it was very quickly replaced with a happy smirk as he grabbed the railing and jumped over it, landing lightly before his old captain.

"Kurama! You're back!"

Nodding slightly, Youko watched the young man before him, seeing his reactions. "I see you've taken charge while I've been gone."

Yomi shifted from foot to foot, not knowing what to say to that without sounding bad. He could say that it was part of being pirates, and that was how the power shifted, but the tone of voice he wanted to use was the wrong type for dealing with his old boss. He could also say that he was glad to take the job, but that would also be bad because it would reveal his secret wanting for the position he currently had.

Swallowing slightly, moving out of the way of a jogging crewmate carrying 3 crates, he responded.

"It was the least I could do. I mean, after we lost you, someone had to take control, and I was the next one on the list." He glared down to the side at the wooden deck. "Although, I don't really have control… I'm still sort of the first mate…"

Youko barely managed to hide his amused smirk. "Oh? So who is in charge of my ship?"

Yomi pointed grudgingly towards the door leading to the captain's quarters. Lowering his arms, he cast a quick glance at Yomi before entering, closing the door behind him. Inside the room, the light shone in through the windows, casting a strange dusty look about the room. There were two scarlet sofas outlined in gold on two different sides of the room, a simple twin bed made of solid birch wood with two small cabinets at the headrest lie parallel to the opposite wall in the corner to the left when you enter, the window taking up most of that side of the room. A rug lay on the floor, heavy and thick with dust. It definitely wasn't going to move any time soon. Located in the far corner to the right was a ceiling-grazing multi-shelved bookcase, filled with jars, small knick-knacks, and hundreds of books. In the middle at the back of the room was a desk. A simple birch wood desk with a simple three pronged candlestick holder, multiple papers, and a few other things scrambled into the mess occupied the top of the desk. That, and a pair of black boots.

Half glaring at the boots, Youko trailed them up to see a form hiding behind what looked like a scroll, the parchment being a whitish-beige. He could see a pirate hat behind the scroll, and wondered who it could be. After a few moments, the person behind the parchment spoke.

"Welcome back."

Youko blinked, then smirked, closing his eyes and folding his arms. "Of all people, I never expected you to be one of them."

The person behind the parchment rolled it back up and removed his booted feet from the desk and stood up, his hands in his pockets. The man was relatively short. Roughly around 4'10", excluding his anti-gravity black hair with a white starburst, he stood with his black boots, black pants tucked into his black boots, and a long black cloak-like-jacket with a simple white collar. His hat, which was also all black, rested gently atop his strange hair, not getting a single hair out of place. His crimson eyes bore into Youkos' golden ones as they stared at each other. After a few minutes, they both started chuckling, both of their eyes closing momentarily.

"Why are you here, my old friend?" Youko asked, watching as he made his way out from behind the desk and over to his side.

"Someone had to keep that idiot in check." He responded with a light shrug, his eyes remaining cold and unmoving.

Youko raised an eyebrow, the smirk still on his face. "So, Yomi did take control of the ship."

The strange man returned the smirk. "For a short time, yes. But then I came on board."

Youko gave a short laugh. "So, my ship was in good hands after all." Placing a hand on the shorter man's shoulders, he continued. "I appreciate it, Hiei. I know I can always count on you."

Giving a silent nod, Hiei motioned his head towards the door. "Shall we take care of business outside?"

With a nod, Youko turned to the door, allowing his hand to slip off of his friends' shoulder. Walking towards the door, Youko took a small breath before opening it once again and stepping out, his friend right behind him.

-A few hours later-

After everything had been once again organized, and the island in which they were at was not even a speck in the distance. The rest of the crew had already finished rejoicing at the return of their old boss, and now everyone was busy doing their own thing. Youko stood with Hiei by his side at the helm of the ship, the gentle sea breeze billowing around them. After watching his men for a few moments, a sudden thought occurred to him.

"I almost forgot…" He spoke softly, not meaning to.

It caught his friends' attention, who glanced at him curiously, yet the cold look still remained. Youko walked towards the steps and jogged lightly down them, looking all around the ship. Hiei had jumped over the railing near the helm and walked up to his searching friend.

"It's not like you to act so anxious."

Youko merely glanced at him, before continuing his search, not saying anything. Having gone to the bow of the ship and back towards the stern, a corner near the base of the stairs caught his attention. He paused, staring at it. There were three barrels there, two standing behind the single one. Glancing back at his friend, he made a silent hand motion for him to stay where he was. Nodding in understanding, Hiei took a single step back, continuing to watch, wondering why his friend was acting so strange.

Quietly walking over to the stack of barrels, his sharp eyes caught a glimpse of light brown hair and pale skin. With a sudden smirk, Youko positioned himself to where he was near the railing of the ship, looking down upon the princess, who had somehow managed to wedge herself into a very small corner. Her hands were atop her head, as if that would help hide her.

Crossing his arms, he spoke normally. "I'm impressed that no one found you in such an obvious place."

His voice caused her to jump noticeably and look up at him in fear. Her eyes quivered as she recognized him, but there was still fear behind her cerulean eyes. Behind him, Hiei gave a slightly amused 'Hn' in response to his statement, but said nothing more. Instead, he remained even more curious as to who he was talking to. Youko glanced around quickly, making sure that there was no one around. And those who were, they were too occupied with something else to care much about what they were doing. Reaching a hand out, Youko leaned down, grasped one of her delicate hands, and helped her rise to her feet. Hiei's eyes widened slightly at the sight of a woman on the ship. He eyed her suspiciously, wondering who she could be, and why was she here. Picking her up bridal style, Youko moved her over the barrels before he placed her once again on the wooden deck.

She looked about hesitantly, wondering what was going on. She looked back up at Youko, hoping he could provide her with the answers she so craved. Placing a gentle hand on her head, he spoke quietly.

"You're like a frightened little mouse…"

She lowered her head as he placed his hand on her head, then looked up at him with large eyes, just a bit more frightened. Glancing about once again, Youko lightly grabbed her arm and, after signaling Hiei to follow, escorted the princess into his quarters, closing the door behind all three of them.

-Within the Captain's Quarters—

Nozomi stood uncomfortably in the center of the room, standing before Youko, who was currently leaning against his desk, watching her with a devious smirk on his face with his arms crossed, and one leg crossed over the other. Hiei stood leaning against the right wall, his arms also crossed, but his face remained emotionless.

Glancing over at Hiei, she saw him glare more coldly at her, which caused her to jump slightly and move her gaze to staring at the center of the rug below her. Feeling even more nervous, now that she was alone with two men, let alone she was taken away from her home, she felt overly shy and tongue-tied. She didn't know what to do anymore. She soon began wringing her hands, wrought with worry and indecision. Glancing up at Youko, she saw his smirk turn into a slight grin, his fang poking out at the side of his mouth. She quickly lowered her gaze once more as she began to feel squeamish.

Hiei glanced between the two before him, his cold red eyes scanning the trembling princess, as well as the highly amused Youko. Returning his eyes to the princess, he spoke.

"I'm curious as to how this happened."

Youko glanced at him, then closed his eyes lightly. "I suppose I can explain." He opened his eyes slightly, glanced at Hiei, then closed his eyes once again. "I awoke on a beach, and by that time, she was attempting to assist me in my recovery." He opened his eyes as he said 'she', watching the princess, and seeing her jump slightly. "For a while, she helped nourish me back to health."

Hiei gave what seemed like a short chuckle. Youko glanced at him before continuing. "She continued to assist me, and when I saw the crew at the castle, I decided to bring her along. After all, she could become useful." The devious smirk returned as he eyed the princess.

Hiei smirked, closing his eyes and hanging his head. "How like you, fox. You kidnap royalty, and are already planning on using her."

Nozomi jumped, raising her head and staring at Youko with wide eyes. "You…you wouldn't!"

Youko stood, walking over and stopping in front of her, causing her to gasp slightly and take a small step back in fear. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with fear, anxiety, and a silent plea. Cupping her chin, he leaned in a bit, his face a mere 2 inches from hers.

"I am able to do whatever I please, princess." He smirked. "This is my ship, and you, my dear, are my prisoner. You will do as I say, or I will throw you overboard."

Nozomi soon began trembling slightly, staring up at him, fighting herself internally so as not to show him any tears. But, she couldn't help the few that welled up in her eyes, causing them to shine slightly.

With a defined smirk, he let her go, and walked around her, heading towards the double doors. Hiei began to follow, a smirk on his face as well. Clenching her shaking fists, Rose whirled around, her dress twirling around her.

"But, I thought you were my friend!" She cried, just as he was about to grab the doorknob.

Youko paused, turning around slightly to look at her. Hiei did the same, replying for his friend.

"He has no real friends. You are either an ally, or an enemy. Nothing more."

Smirking slightly, Youko said, "Aside from you, Hiei." before turning back to the door. "Stay here, for now. I shall return shortly." He spoke, as he was closing the door behind Hiei and himself.

This left the princess alone. Feeling completely numb, Rose managed to walk over to the scarlet sofa to the right and sat down heavily, her hands covering her face as she cried, the feeling of betrayal washing over her in waves.

-A few hours later-

Hiei knocked on the door twice before entering the Captain's Quarters. His red eyes immediately landing on the princess, who was still sitting on the sofa, however, she had seized her sobbing, and was merely covering her eyes. At the sound of the door opening, however, she looked up quickly, then stood up and watched him.

With a simple 'hn', Hiei tossed her what appeared to be clothes. She caught them using only one hand, and examined them using both hands, staring at them confusedly. Looking up at the short man, she asked him a silent question.

With another simple 'hn', he turned his back to her, his hands in his pockets, the door being held open by his right foot. "Captains' orders. Put those on and come out onto the deck." He spoke before walking out of the room, the door closing on its own in his absence.

Blinking slightly, she stared back down at the four piece attire and sweat dropped. _'I seriously have to wear this…? I should have known better…after all, he is a pirate… But, why does it have to be so revealing!?'_ She thought as she laid out the four pieces on the sofa. With a sigh, she soon began to change clothes, blushing the entire time. When it came time to finally put some shoes on, she noticed that all she had were her crystalline shoes from her home. She blinked, then began glancing around. Surely there were some shoes around here that she could use, or something… To her surprise, sitting next to the double doors in the shadows, there was a pair of boots there. Walking over, she picked them both up, one per hand, and studied them. They had a slight heel, but it wasn't tall enough to make her seem too tall, since she was about 5'8" herself. Sighing once more, she figured that the shorter man must have placed them there when she wasn't paying attention or something. With another sigh, she walked over to the sofa and put on the knee high boots. Standing up, she walked over to a wall mirror located to the far right of the room, not seeable from the doorway, she checked herself out.

She had first put on black pants, and when she had gotten the boots, had tucked her baggy black pants into them so that they couldn't be seen, nor would they be getting in the way. From there, a long light navy blue skirt flared around her as she twirled slightly. The length of it went down to her ankles, which was a definitely good length. She didn't want anyone to know that she was even wearing pants, since it's not princess like. (Even if no one knew she was a princess.) Tucked into the skirt was a baggy white renaissance shirt whose sleeves were long and to her wrists, but kept her shoulders and almost half of her chest bare. There was a small triangular opening at the top of her shirt, showing off even more of her cleavage. Her bust practically jumped out, though covered by the cotton cloth. On top of the white shirt, around her waist was a black cincher, tied at the front and back with simple cream colored strings.

After a few moments of staring at herself in the mirror, her long light brown hair framing her face and falling over her shoulders, as well as her curves standing out more, her entire face soon began burning a bright red. She quickly covered her face, hating to see herself blush. "Ahh, this is so embarrassing!" She cried, moving away from the mirror, still covering her face.

At that moment, the door opened, and Youko stepped in. "Have you fi-" He stopped dead, staring at the figure before him. Unable to control himself, his jaw dropped slightly, staring at the curvaceous woman who stood in the center of the room, who stared back at him, wide eyed, and completely red in the face.

Hiei entered behind him, and after he saw the princess, smirked as he closed his eyes and folded his arms. "Fool. Are you so captivated that you've lost all control?"

Youko could do nothing but stare for a while, unable to help himself. Forcing his mouth shut, he shook his head vigorously and took a step forward, clearing his throat in the process. Striding over to the princess, he grabbed her arm roughly, but internally flinched as his rough calloused hands gently caressed her soft skin ever so slightly as he moved towards the door.

"It is time you met the rest of the crew." He spoke, his body facing forward.

Nozomi had no time to reply or say anything, being too preoccupied with trying not to fall as she was practically dragged out of the room, blushing even more as her bust bounced more as she tried to get her footing. Smirking even more, Hiei closed the door and followed the other two out of the room.

Out on the deck, the sun was visibly setting in the distant horizon, and several darkened spots were visible, dotting the open ocean. Still holding onto her arm, he approached another door to the far right of the captain's quarter's door. It was nestled next to the stairs on the right side that led up to the helm of the ship. As the sun finished setting, Youko opened the door and practically shoved her inside, then followed after her, smirking.

The smell of alcohol and other types of booze hit the dazed and startled princess directly in the face as she collapsed to the ground after stumbling down the stairs. There had been noise, such as loud talking and arguing, but now, there was nothing but silence; a deafening and awkward silence. Quickly looking up, having landed on her hands and knees on the ground, she paled slightly and quickly sat up on her knees as she covered up her chest area with her arms, her face burning a bright red. The men in the room stared at her, then turned their eyes to their captain, who stood in the middle of the stairs, smirking noticeably. Hiei stood near the top of the stairs, watching the others.

"Gentlemen!" Youko announced, waving his left arm, and then using it to point at the princess. "We have a guest! Make her feel right at home!" A loud round of cheers rocked the room as most, if not all, of the men raised their mugs in cheer. Youko's smirk faded slightly. "You are to treat this woman with respect, and if I find any of you fools touching her, and you know what I mean, your heart will be torn out. Is that clear?"

A reluctant chorus of "Aye, Cappin!" was heard before Youko cast a death glare around the room, and then left, leaving the dazed and confused, and embarrassed princess completely alone in the middle of the room filled with sweaty men. Almost immediately, most of the men crowded around the terrified girl, causing her to back up into the corner formed by the stairs and the wooden wall of the ship. Crooked smiles and grimy bodies all swam in her vision as they huddled around her, all wanting to get a look at the woman tossed into their domain.

"Wat a purdy lass…" One spoke, outstretching his hand to her. She noticed that it was missing two fingers; the ring and middle fingers.

"Aye. The cappin knows 'ow to pick 'em." Another said, nodding with a smirk, his eyes glinting mischievously.

One man stepped forward. He looked to be about 6'7", and he had bulging muscles that moved and rippled beneath his bronze skin. He stepped away from the group and closer to the princess. He gave a very broad grin, one that showed his rotting teeth, and the gaps left by the ones missing.

"What a fair piece ye are… How's 'bout we have a little fun…?"

Her eyes, still wide, showed fear and confusion. Seeing her frightened, not to mention huddled up in a corner at the base of the stairs, Yomi stood from one of the nearby tables and walked over, just as a large bronze man with bulging muscles made his way over to her. He chuckled loudly.

"Well! It seems our cappin' 'as decided to 'eave us a present!"

This caused a few cheers, which Yomi knew could only lead to much worse things. He stepped forward just as the man was about to reach down to the terrified young lass.

"Stop, Beno." Then man whirled around and glared at him.

"'et lost, Yomi!"

Yomi glared at him. "Captains orders. Leave her alone."

"Screw the Cappin! Wha' 'e don't know won't hurt 'im!"

Three other men that had been sitting at the same table with Yomi now stood and approached, all glaring at the one named Beno.

"Enough." The one with a red bandana on his head spoke.

"Yeah, let's not act like dogs." The one with bulging arm muscles with tattoos scattered across them spoke next.

"Especially not in front of such a doxy…" The man with a black eye patch over his left eye spoke last, casting a sly, yet reassuring smirk at the young girl on the floor behind the big man.

Glancing at all four of them, Beno growled loudly before walking off, bumping roughly past Yomi in the process of getting to his table. The other pirates merely shrugged it off and went back to their seats, all conversing and finishing their dinners. Having watched Beno return to his seat, Yomi now turned back around and walked forward, holding a hand out to the beautiful young woman on the floor before him. He gave her a kind smile, offering his hand as she stared up at him.

"Don't worry, I won't bite…" He assured, moving his hand a bit towards her to stronger imply that.

After a few moments, she nodded, and grasped his hand delicately. His eyes widened slightly at just how smooth her hands were as he easily helped her to her feet. As she got her footing, the other three surrounded her, causing her to blush deeply and look down, grabbing the front of her skirt and wringing it a bit, causing them to see her boots a bit more clearly.

"T-thank you…for saving me…"

"No problem!" The one with the bandana saluted, flashing a white smile.

She blinked in confusion, but ignored that and concentrated more on her current position. The man with the eye patch walked forward. He looked gruff, and had a make-shift beard happening, but he had gentleness in his eyes, apart from his strong looking physique. He got very close to her, looking deep into her eyes, which caused her to blush even more and look away.

After a few moments, he smirked. "Hunh. Didn't expect someone like you to pop up here."

She blinked once again, eyeing him carefully. He winked at her playfully. "You're too pretty to die, doxy. Try not to start any trouble."

She got into defensive mode. "It's not my fault!"

"Oh? Then whose fault is it? Cause from what I can tell, none of the men here are as beautiful as you are." The man with the tattoos spoke, smirking at her.

She opened her mouth to retort, found that she could say nothing, and just closed her mouth again, feeling flustered and useless. She glanced up at the four men, eying each of them very carefully. Glancing around the room, she turned her attention back to the men and spoke in a low voice,

"You guys are too intelligent to be normal pirates… You're just like Youko…"

All four stared at her. Not only did she notice, though they weren't surprised, but she had said their captain's name. It was the fact that she had called him by his first name that caught them off guard. The one with the eye patch was the first to recover.

"You're not out of trouble yet, princess. If word spreads about your little secret, every one in this room is going to want to have you as his own." He added a small sly smirk as he continued. "And I'm already one of them. Though, I highly doubt you'd fall for a guy like me."

She stared at him blankly, as if numb at hearing her title. It seemed like such a distant memory to her now.

She switched to a mild glare, her eyes going slightly dark. "Little help that title's giving me now. I have about as much control over a flea here than of anything going on here…" She murmured darkly, causing them to smirk slightly in amusement.

The one with the tattoos spoke now, wrapping a casual arm around her slender shoulders. "And that's the kind of attitude you need to survive around here. So…welcome to the ship." He soon began laughing and walked back towards the table, as well as the other two, while waving at Yomi, "You take care of her and show her where she needs to go! Maybe we could get some more to eat!"

Sweat dropping, Yomi turned back to the confused girl. With a sigh, he unconsciously grabbed her wrist gently and began leading her to the kitchen. Noticing that he had done so unwittingly, she said nothing, but was wondering when he would notice. As he finished dragging her to the kitchen, he sighed once again before he spoke.

"This is the gully, where you'll be working. That, over there," He pointed at a short, withered old hag with slightly long mangled grey hair and beady brown eyes glaring at him as he pointed at her, "…is Yura. She's the one that cooks and cleans the pots and pans and other stuff down here." He looked down at the young woman. "And this is where you'll be working."

"But…"

"No buts." He cut her off sharply, unconsciously gripping her wrist tighter. "Having women on board of a ship is bad luck. And having two is even worse. So, make yourself useful." With that, he took a step forward to leave, but noticed that he still had a grip on her wrist. Blushing slightly, he quickly let go and strode away quickly, leaving her standing there, confused.

She was snapped out of it by the old woman hitting her over the head with a ladle. "C'mon, kiddo. I ain't got all day, ya'know."

"Yes, ma'am…" She replied dully, entering the kitchen and beginning to start to do as the woman told her.

-Meanwhile, back on deck

Youko was leaning against the railing on the left side of his ship, staring out at the calm open ocean under the beautiful crescent moon. Hiei stood next to him, staring out as well. After a while, he glanced at his comrade, studying the look on his face.

"You're a fool."

Youko turned his head and stared at the shorter man, his usually cold and narrow eyes studying the red orbs of his friend.

"Am I?"

Closing his eyes, his arms folded neatly behind his back, Hiei stood still as he spoke. "You've fallen for that woman."

Youko's eyes never wavered as he stared down at his friend. He was the only one he would allow to speak with him as such, aside from his old friend and partner, Kuronue. Sadly, he had died at the hands of an enemy. He had been captured, *strappadoed*, and *forced to swallow a multitude of grains and rice, then forced to drink gallons of water, causing his guts to burst at the over saturation*. After he had learned of his best friends' passing and how it was done, he made sure that all of the members of that crew, including the captain and the ones at the hideout, had suffered the same fate, and worse for the captain himself.

Standing up straight, having been leaning against both of his arms against the railing, Youko stood, staring (glaring for others) down at his friend.

"Are you claiming that I, the King of Thieves, have fallen for such a soft and delicate woman?"

With an amused 'hn', Hiei leaned his arms against the railing himself, staring out at the ocean himself. "You can't fool me, fox. Your notions are clear." He glanced at him. "You love her."

Youko's eyes narrowed. "I could never love a woman who could never defend herself."

Hiei smirked, his eyes leaving his friends' and focusing on the moon instead. "We shall see how things sort out. Watch yourself, fox. I'll be keeping an eye on you both."

Returning the smirk, Youko leaned against the railing next to his friend, staring out at the calm and open ocean.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

-_And that, my dear readers, is the end of the longest chapters to date. I hope you enjoyed this especially long chapter, for there will not be another for a while. After posting these 12 pages (yes, 12 FULL pages), I need to catch up more in my actual writing. on the last chapter, or the one before that, I believe I stated somewhere that I was around the 60s in pages. Well, I am pleased to inform you, and Selfish Desires, this will interest you especially, ABATS is now OFFICIALLY longer than ARAAR with a whooping 94 pages, and counting. ^^ So! I hope you guys are eager, for this story isn't even half way yet! If I get_ enough reviews, I might post the next chapter sooner. But, that all depends on my readers.

Now, for some translating.

**Strappado:**_Subject to a form of torture whereby a victim's hands are tied behind his back, then his body repeatedly raised off the ground by a rope tied to his wrists and dropped until the fall is stopped by a painful upward jerking on the same rope. Consequences include the dislocation of the victim's shoulders and slow suffocation._

The description in the story, "and forced to swallow a multitude of grains and rice, then forced to drink gallons of water, causing his guts to burst at the over saturation.", is called **"****b****urst guts with water"**.

**Burst guts with**** water: **_There are several torture methods featuring the forced consumption of massive amounts of water, all ending with the painful rupture of the victim's stomach. They include, for example: pouring water into a funnel inserted down the victim's throat, while pinching his nostrils and thus forcing him to swallow; forcing the victim to swallow a knotted cord along with large amounts of water, then ripping the cord out of the victim's mouth-and the victim;s esophagus with it; forcing the victim to swallow uncooked rice or grain (which expands upon saturation) along with large amounts of water, thus speeding the stomach bursting process; hammering or beating on the victim's tender, water-engorged abdomen in order to cause his stomach to burst; and forcing the victim to consume large amounts of water while secured to a rack or slab elevating his feet to a point higher than his head, so as to subject the lungs to pressure from the liquid-filled stomach, thus simulating a feeling of drowning or suffocation._

**I do not claim rights to the book "A Pirate Primer" by George Choundas. I merely own a copy of his book, in which I used as a reference.** _To those of you who have not fully grasped it yet, Pirates were VERY...gruesome. They loved to torture others, especially for information, and they came up with creative ways of doing so. Very creative, yet gruesome ways to extract information. There are others listed in the book, and a few other references scattered throughout the story that you will see soon enough. I look forward to your reviews!__!_


	10. Chapter 10 - Usefulness

_I will be updating this week after all, due to the fact that next week, I will be unable to do so. Thank you to Galinia for your review, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter. I am please to say that after this chapter, things finally start to take off. And yes, I do realize I've been saying that for too long now, but nonetheless, the time is nigh! lol All right, enough with this mindless banter! Let us move forth! : D_

**Disclaimer: I do not own YYH, any of it's character, or the rights. I only own a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things.  
**

-A few days later

"Good, good… You're a fast learner." Yura spoke gruffly, supervising as the princess reorganized the pots underneath the counters.

She had spent the last few days cleaning the entirety of the small area that was the kitchen, and had somehow managed to make it clean. Even the pots and pans that were there shined in the dim light beneath the deck. With a tired smile, the old woman placed a hand on the younger woman's head as she finished. Looking up at her curiously, she noticed the tired look and grew concerned.

"You should lie down… You don't look that well…"

Yura's tired smile grew slightly and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Could you help an old woman over to the bed? I'm afraid I'm not as young as I used to be…"

Nodding, Nozomi closed the cabinets and assisted the old woman over to a hammock hanging from the rafters nearby. With a heavy sigh, Yura got comfortable and folded her hands across her chest, her eyes closed. Nozomi stood there for a while, worried for the older woman. As she watched her current mentor, a sudden thought occurred to her.

Fortunately, she didn't need to say anything, for Yura had already thought of that. Opening her eyes slightly, she glanced at the young girl.

"Go up onto the deck, and see if you can help out… I no longer need your help until the time comes for the others to eat. You may go…"

Nozomi was immediately relieved, yet anguished about leaving her mentor. "But, what about you?"

With a soft chuckle, she whispered, "I just need some sleep… Let me rest… By the time you come back, I'll be back to normal."

With a nod, Nozomi assured her mentor that she understood and would do as she asked. But, she waited until the slow, deep breathing of her mentor announced that she had finally fallen asleep before she began to make her way up the stairs and towards the deck. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before opening the door into the blinding sunlight.

-Above deck

The deck was drenched in pure sunlight, unprotected by clouds, since there were none in the sky. The crew bustled about, tugging on ropes, changing the position of the sails, and moving about barrels and such that got in each others ways. Youko stood at the helm, watching it all. His helmsman steered the ship expertly, keeping the sailing as smooth as possible. Even so, there was still a constant upward and downwards motion to the entire ship. Scanning about, he cast a quick glance at Hiei, who stood behind the two men, and merely nodded once. Looking back down at the deck, Youko's eyes widened slightly as he saw a brown head peek out of the door that lead to the gully. It glanced around a bit, then hesitated before stepping out and closing the door behind her.

The strong sea breeze blew at her skirt, but did not lift it, and that was good. However, she glanced about, wondering what to do. With a smirk, Youko gave a quick command to the helmsman, "Keep 'er steady.", before jumping over the railing and landing lightly right next to her, causing her to jump noticeably.

She looked up at him a bit ruefully, but said nothing yet. Youko, on the other hand, found this encounter highly amusing. Not only could he enjoy seeing her dressed as she was, but the fact that she was beautiful caused it to be all the more enjoyable. Feeling a bit flamboyant, he gave a mock bow and asked,

"How may I help you, my dear?"

She glared at him, not caring if others were watching. "You dragged me onto this ship and expect me to be happy about it?"

His smirk turned into a bit of a sneer. "I could always throw you overboard, if that is what you want."

A surge of fear ran through her. There was no doubt in her mind that he would do as he said, but it hurt her to think that her friend had disappeared. Instead, she remained silent, looking down at the damp deck. It surprised her that, although there was not a cloud in the sky and the sun was at full force, the deck was still slippery and damp. It was probably because of the sea spray.

Seeing her fall silent, he continued, seeing him win that battle. "So, why is it you have come up here?"

She glanced at him, then back at the door with concern, then sighed. "Yura wasn't feeling that well, so she's resting for a while. She told me to come up here and see if I can help out a bit…" She looked up at him, worry clear in her bright blue eyes. "So, I'm here in honor of her… Is there anything for me to do up here?"

Youko stared at her, his smirk had long gone. Since he had asked her what her purpose was, it had disappeared. But, once he heard that Yura was feeling ill, he grew concerned himself. He looked at the beautiful young woman before him, clearly worried about someone she had only known for a few days now, and was reminded of her great care and concern when they had first met, when he had washed up on the shore of the small beach.

Glancing around, he looked up to see Yomi tying a rope into a loop on one of the masts. He was hanging upside down, held up by his legs hung over the wooden piece. Glancing back down at the girl, he suddenly grew curious as to what would happen. He watched as Yomi finished tying the rope into place, pulling it a few times to make sure it was taught. He was a very good crewman.

Taking a few steps forward, Youko waved an arm up, glaring up at his first mate. "Yomi! Come down!"

Without waiting another moment, Yomi did a sort of flip off of the wooden piece of the mast that formed a T up top and landed with a dull thud onto the deck on his feet. He jogged over, his eyes only on his captain.

"You called, captain?" He asked, a bit breathless. It was a hot day, and his shirt clung to his sweaty body, outlining his muscular features.

Nozomi could see how tan he truly was in the sunlight, however, she couldn't quite figure out how he still seemed to be so pale… Not compared to Youko, however, who was definitely the palest of them all, though still with a tan, compared to most others. It was a light one. She scanned his torso, seeing how his muscles moved under his tan skin. It caused her to blush and look away, as if ashamed of herself. It was then that Yomi noticed the princess, and attempted to hide his blush as he caught her eye before she looked quickly away.

Seeing the exchange, Youko kept it in mind, but ignored it for now. He could sense that Hiei had seen it all as well, though, as usual, remained silent about it. Continuing on with his business, he continued. "Yomi, I'm not sure if I've had the chance to introduce you to Princess Nozomi properly." He motioned towards her.

Still trying to catch his breath, though, as before, it was merely light, Yomi closed his eyes and made a semi-formal bow, with his right hand over his torso as he bowed to her, then stood up straight and looked back at his captain.

"We met last night." He said, a bit too quietly.

Nozomi continued from there. "Yes, he and three others protected me…"

Youko glanced at her, then back at Yomi, who said nothing. With a mental shrug, he got back on topic. "At any rate, I wanted to tell you that it's up to you to protect her while she's up here. She is to help around while Yura recovers."

"Yura's sick!?" Was his first reaction, looking both shocked and a bit devastated.

"She told me that she just needed her rest, and that she would be back to normal before I had to go back and help her make food…" Nozomi answered, looking up at him, though looking worried still.

Yomi nodded, but Youko continued. "As such, she will be working up here for a while."

Yomi stared at him, having caught his breath. "But, captain!" He exclaimed, temporarily forgetting his place. "She's a woman! She won't have the strength to lift what we have trouble lifting, or hoisting sail, or anything else for that matter!"

Youko glared at him. "Then don't make her do an obvious man's job. As I've said, you must look after her, protect her, and do your work at the same time. If you fail in any of these, you will be punished." After giving him a killer look, he turned a softer gaze on the princess.

"As for you, my dear, I trust that you are in safe hands. I shall leave you to your assignments, and I hope that you do not strain yourself." With a flash of his famous smirk, he jumped back onto the railing above him and hopped off behind, reclaiming his spot next to his helmsman.

Yomi groaned slightly, then turned to look at the princess coldly, feeling his irritation bubbling. She merely watched him, feeling helpless. He sighed irritably and crossed his arms tightly, glaring at her.

"Looks like I have no choice…" He paused, still glaring at her. She gave a meager shrug in response, which only seemed to irritate him even more. With a growl, he continued, "Well, what can you do?"

Once again, she shrugged. "Guess I'd have to pick something up in order to find out…" She murmured, her eyes focused on an interesting spot scratched into the smooth wood.

Eyes narrowing, he roughly grabbed her left upper arm and dragged her towards the bow of the ship, where a few barrels awaited. There was another man on his way there, but from a discreet sign from Yomi, he began to climb the nearest mast, soon disappearing within the folds of the sail. Upon reaching the barrels, he roughly thrust her towards them, causing her to stumbled and practically slam into the barrels. She gasped a bit at the pain and sudden movement, then turned a cold eye upon him, glaring coldly at him.

Without waiting for him to say anything, since she saw him draw breath, she moved between the barrels, lifting them slightly to see which ones were heavy, and which ones weren't. As she tested one, she seemed satisfied, and glared briefly at Yomi before rolling up her sleeves and picking up the barrel. She grunted slightly as she heaved it, but managed to get it up to her shoulder and turned, straight backed, to her stunned boss.

"Where should I put it?" She asked quietly, her eyes flashing dangerously, yet her complexion remained calm and gentle.

Blinking a few times, and becoming aware that others were watching them, he pointed towards the other end of the boat, near the area in which she had spoken with Youko and himself earlier. Giving a brief nod, she walked the distance and placed the heavy barrel down with a dull thud. Rotating her shoulder for a few seconds, she walked back over and picked up another barrel without any other instruction, which caused a few of the other crew members to watch amusedly as this young girl did a mans job.

-Nightfall

Nozomi had returned to the galley below the deck around sunset after a long days work in the sun. She had done the job of making dinner for the crew, and making sure that Yura was at least resting, which she was. Apparently, she was weaker than she had thought, and needed more time to rest. Though she was conscious and still gave orders, she remained lying down and resting.

As the crew mates exited the galley, with few parting words, Nozomi waited a few moments, finishing drying a pan, and then collapsed onto a small crate, panting slightly. She placed the pan on the counter where it was supposed to go with trembling hands, allowing her arms to go limp by her sides. Yura watched silently, seeing the young girl completely exhausted. She couldn't help but smile weakly.

"It's not easy is it?" She asked softly, causing the young girl to give her a questioning glance. "The life of a pirate, I mean."

In response, Nozomi shook her head. "No…it's not…" She heaved a big sigh, feeling just how weary she truly was after spending all day in the sun. Her arms felt burnt, and her face slightly feverish. She was used to a cool interior and having everything done for her, not having to do things herself. And even when she did, it wasn't to such an extent. "But, I always knew it was hard work… I mean… When one thinks of pirates, one thinks of strong men with rippling muscles, their skin tanned after years under the hot sun, brandishing swords and guns…." She fell silent, heaving another sigh. "Why am I here among this mess?" She ended in a whisper, hanging her head and covering her face with her still trembling hands.

Nodding, the old woman knowing what her younger companion was feeling, merely smiled. "It's true. A young woman who has never been at sea before has no real chance of surviving very long on here." She paused, seeing the young woman's shoulders slump a bit in defeat at her words. She continued. "That is why it is your job to prove them wrong in whatever way you can."

Nozomi's head lifted at her words, seeing the old fragile woman whom she had met only a few days ago. She had wisdom wedged deep within her wrinkles, and it sparkled in her eyes. But, apart from that, she had a rugged gentleness about her; one that every woman probably had, hidden somewhere deep within.

Seeing her young companion wavering, she continued. "I've seen the way he looks at you. He hasn't looked at any woman that way before. There's something special about you." Nozomi blinked, confused. Seeing her confusion, she elaborated. "The Captain."

Understanding, then even more confusion dawned on her eyes. "Oh, you mean Youko?" She shook her head. "No… He's just a friend, that's all… I saved him at a beach…and we became friends…" She fell silent, suddenly missing her old friends.

Yura, watching knowingly, smiled even more. "Yes, I do mean little Youko. You do have a gift, dear; one of hidden courage, and intelligence. He doesn't go after just anyone, you know. He goes after those with beauty and intelligence, and you've definitely qualified for both."

Nozomi blinked. _'Little? Little Youko…? Just how old IS Yura…?'_ "Beautiful…?" She managed to whisper, a little surprised.

"Why yes. Of course. After all, you are a princess, aren't you?"

Nozomi hung her head. "Yes…but I… I've never really thought of myself as beautiful…because I…"

"It's ok. Just… Be strong. Be smart. And be resilient. Now that I'm weaker, I can't be looking after you. I can't protect you from them. They're going to try and break your spirit. Don't let them." She warned, her eyes flashing. "Don't let any of them see your weakness. However, be smart at the same time. If something is too heavy, or impossible for you to do, don't try and do it, all right? We wouldn't want our dear captain to become heart broken."

Growing confused as to how she worded that, Nozomi crawled over to her cot and collapsed, falling almost immediately into a deep and dreamless sleep.

-_That is the end of this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, and are eager for the next. That eagerness will probably get you through until the next time I update. There will be no update next week, due to the fact that I will be unavailable. I look forward to your reviews, and can't wait to update myself! _

_As a bit of an afterthought, I wished to inform everyone that, as of April 16, 2013, ABATS officially made it to 100 pages. Now, if you recall a while back, I did say when it 'officially' became longer than ARAAR, so I hope this is just a bit more proof on how I am not giving up hope on this story. Where I am currently at, I am just about to reach the middle, so to speak. I am currently at page 118, and am in dire need of editing the last scene, so, who knows? By the time I've finished that, I'll have more than 120 pages, and then I may continue~_

_Another thing of importance. Guys. I need your opinion. Due to the speed I am writing these chapters, I am about to come up to a snag. A very BIG snag. Now here is my question for you; do you want me to post a "lemon" chapter, or not? I can easily write it, but not post it, allowing everyone to assume what happened. OR, I could actually post it on here, causing the rating to change whenever the time arrises to where I actually need to change the rating. So, what do you think? If you want a good chapter, let me know asap, because if not, then it will be solely on myself, and I will see what I have to do. Have a nice day~_


	11. Chapter 11 - The Storm

_Well, its been two weeks since my last update, so I hope everyone's excited for this new chapter! I also need to tell you guys something important. You know how I have been repeatedly telling you, my readers, that the chapters of recent have been old chapters from 2009? Well, the first two paragraphs of this chapter are from the same year, but the rest of this chapter...I wrote recently! ^^ AND! This is my FAVORITE chapter! I'm just SO excited that you guys FINALLY get to read it! I know I'm excited for it to finally be out... This means that, for me, things are finally getting somewhere! Yay! This is also the only chapter in both ARAAR and ABATS that have the same title for similar scenes! Hope you're looking forward to it!  
_

**Disclaimer:****I do not own YYH, any of its characters, or the rights. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things.****  
**

_And now, without further delay..._

-1 week later

"Hey, Rose! I got something for ya to do!" A burley man called out, having cupped his hand over one side of his mouth so that it echoed a bit and made it more easily heard.

Nozomi, having been on the other side of the ship, tying down one of the masts and making sure it was fastened tightly, concentrated on her work. Over the past week, she had managed to establish a sort of respect out of the other crewmembers. They had tried to humiliate her many times, but each time has failed. Not once did she allow them to see her tears.

This day, however, was a very calm day. The ocean looked like reflective glass on the almost cloudless sky as she was gazing out at the seemingly endless sea. She heard her nickname being called, to which she made no attempt to reply. Her eyes were glued, practically, to the horizon, her expression passive. The man, growing confused, strolled over, waving a hand in front of her face. Not getting any form of reaction from her, he merely shrugged and moved away, deciding to do it himself. Youko, on the other hand, noticed this strange behavior, but didn't do anything either. Instead, he looked around the open sea, not seeing any blemishes on this perfect day. His eyes narrowed, feeling a small gust of wind blow by. Something wasn't right about this day.

He glanced towards the horizon, sensing more than seeing something there. Something was coming…but what, he was unsure. He glanced once more down at the princess, who seemed rooted to the spot. For half a second, he wondered if she knew something was wrong also, but pushed that thought aside, finding it improbable. It was only a matter of time before his suspicions would come to light, he knew it.

"Cap'pin!" Glancing up, Youko's eyes narrowed as he studied the crewman that was situated at the Crow's nest, who was waving frantically down at him with one arm, and pointing towards the horizon with the other. "Cap'pin! We 'ave a problem!"

Suddenly, a large wave crashed into the side of the ship, and before his crewman could say anything, he knew exactly what was wrong. His helmsman held the tiller firmly, glancing briefly at his captain. He too knew what this meant.

"Cap'pin! There be a storm a' cumin'! And by 'e looks o' 'em clouds, a nasty un!"

Cursing under his breath, feeling the wind picking up more, his sharp eyes fixed on the now evidently darker horizon, Youko glared around at the ship. He only had a small amount of time to prepare for the coming storm. As another wave made contact with the side of the ship, Youko gave a brief order to his helmsman to keep her steady, before jumping over the railing and soon began shouting orders.

"Take anything of value down below decks! We don't want it getting lost in this storm! As for the rest, strap it down!" He looked up at the crew that was up with the mast, making their way towards the ropes. "Secure the sails!" He called up, the harsher wind carrying his voice up to them. With silent nods, they quickly went to work as the first drops of stinging cold rain began to fall from the now dark heavens as the sun finished setting. "Yomi!" Youko paused, his frigid and narrow eyes focusing on his first mate, who had been strapping down a few barrels. His head immediately snapped up at the tone of his captain, knowing that tone all too well. His captain was in his more serious form, and any wrong doings now would get him, or anyone else killed. Quickly finishing, he hurried over, stumbling as a stronger wave smashed into the side of the ship, sending shivers through the entirety of the ship. "Yomi, I need you to get life lines on everyone as soon as possible. We don't want another 'accident'." Youko spoke, his voice cold, but firm.

With a nod, Yomi immediately went to work, gathering rope from all corners of the ship to tie to the main mast, as well as to the others. Once he had all of the crew tied down, including himself, he noticed that there seemed to be something wrong. He had two ropes left, and he had done count. He knew that one of them was for the captain himself, for the helmsman already had one. But, who was the other one for. Scanning the drenched deck of the lurching ship, his sharp eye caught the sight of long light brown hair, and knew immediately who it was. Rushing over, grasping the main mast as he slipped as yet another savage wave hit the side of their vessel, he managed to make it over to her.

"Rose!"

Hearing her name, she turned slightly to look at him, blinking slowly. She seemed out of it, but after a few seconds, her glazed vision returned to normal, replaced with a concerned look.

"Yomi!"

"Rose! You shouldn't be out here! Get below deck, where it's safer!" he shouted over the wind, his concern showing on his face.

Youko watched this from his perch, his cold eyes narrowing even more, his fox ears just barely managing to hear the conversation over the fierce wind that picked lustfully at the sails, as if trying to tear holes in it.

Nozomi merely studied him, seeing him concerned for her safety. She glanced briefly at Youko, around the ship, and then back at him.

"I'll be fine! You need to worry more about the cargo! These waves are getting stronger by the feel of it!" Another wave crashed into the side of the ship, almost knocking her over. Yomi quickly grabbed her and pressed her against him, grasping the railing tightly to steady the both of them. That must have been how she had kept herself steady… She had been holding onto the railing with both hands, instead of just one… With his mind whirling, knowing that if anything happened to her, his captain would have his head, he gritted his teeth. He wanted to protect her, but she was definitely going to be staying above decks. How he hated stubborn people. As the wave passed and the ship lurched again, Yomi quickly released her and tied the life line securely to her waist, glancing briefly up into her eyes.

"Are you sure about this?"

She nodded, gripping the railing with both hands once more. "I'll be fine! Go! You're needed elsewhere!"

Keeping eye contact for just a few more seconds, he nodded once and left her be at the head of the ship, off to continue his business. Nozomi, in the mean time, watched him go for a few more seconds, glanced briefly at Youko once more, her light brown locks whipping around her savagely, before she turned once more to face the storm. Youko watched this silently, of course. There was nothing he could say or do for that matter. She had decided that she would remain on deck. For what purpose, he did not know. Perhaps she felt safer above deck than below deck? Internally shaking his head, he focused his concentration on what needed to be done. Another much larger wave crashed into the ship, causing the helmsman to be knocked from the tiller and sprawled onto the floor, causing it to spin out of control. However, due to Youkos' quick reflexes, he stepped up to it and stopped the tiller, turning the wheel and reclaiming control of his ship.

"No storm will get the best of my ship…" he growled, his hard muscles visible through his wet and form fitting shirt, his silvery locks plastered against his skin.

As the storm seemed to be progressively getting worse, the crew became more and more active in keeping everything in order, but at the same time, being careful to not be knocked over. However, even as the lightning flashed across the sky, and the wind howled in their ears, there was nothing they could do except wait out the storm. Nozomi, on the other hand, still remained, seemingly motionless, at the front of the ship. No one had bothered to go over there, figuring this was her first storm and she wanted to experience it, or something else that was stupid. She, on the other hand, remained still, ignoring everything around her, including the random shouts of 'Get inside!'. Her eyes were focused dead ahead, staring out into the raging storm. Suddenly her eyes widened, her mouth slowly opening in horror. She quickly turned and began running across the deck, waving her arms frantically to get the Captain's attention.

"Youko! Youko!" her words were lost to the wind, however, as she desperately tried to get his attention.

Youko, having keen eyes, noticed her immediate movement, but didn't pay her much mind at first. However, as he progressively became aware that something was definitely moving across the deck, he quickly checked to see what it was, and seeing that it was her, who looked relatively frantic, he leaned forward slightly. By now, Nozomi had managed to make her way over to the stairs that led up to the helm, grasping desperately at the railings as wave after wave slammed at either side of the ship. Practically dragging herself up the stairs, she stumbled as yet another wave crashed against them, but thankfully, Youko quickly grabbed her with his left arm, steadying her.

"Are you alright?" he shouted, keeping his eyes focused before him, witnessing something that could have come out of a nightmare.

"We need to change course!" She responded, looking up at him desperately.

He glanced at her, confused. "What do you mean? We can't!"

"You have to!" She cried, pointing ahead. "There's a Maelstrom ahead! You HAVE to change course!"

As soon as he heard those words, he knew if he didn't change course soon, they would all be doomed. Nodding silently, glancing curiously at her briefly, he carefully guided her to the railing near him before taking the tiller with both hands once more, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"Brace!" he shouted, glad that the wind carried his voice this time, as he immediately noticed everyone latch themselves onto something solid.

Once he was sure that they had, and that Nozomi was holding onto the railing tightly herself, he turned the tiller as far right as it would go. Almost immediately, the ship groaned and creaked beneath them as they felt themselves slowing and beginning to turn. However, the speed in which they had been travelling didn't slow too much, as they were caught in a strong current. It was then, and only then, that Youko truly accepted the fact that there really was a maelstrom up ahead, for only they had the current strong enough to keep its death grip on a ship. It was pulling them into the icy depths of the sea, and there was little hope that they would survive. Growling, Youko moved with his ship, willing it to keep going. As the ship reached the right angle, now fully turned to the right, he straightened the tiller, fighting against the waves and the wind, hopefully steering them clear of the possibility of death that lingered above them. As the ship slowly began inching away, Youko's sensitive ears picked up the sound of roaring waves mixing, the crashing of thunder, and the echo of lightning, creating a terrifying sound of death, which created vivid imagery in their minds of a massive monster at the depths of the ocean, gnashing its jagged teeth, waiting to devour their poor souls.

Nozomi glanced fearfully at Youko, her skin pale at the sounds that echoed behind them. Youko gave her a very brief reassuring glare that everything was going to be all right, and slowly, more securely, the ship began inching away from the maelstrom itself, back to where the waves weren't as large, and the wind wasn't as loud. The rain went from piercing rain to a normal one, and the lightning and thunder echoed in the distance. There seemed to be an air of relief as everyone on board began sighing and moving about more, making sure that their life lines were still secure, for the storm may have calmed, but it was not over yet.

"ROGUE WAVE! DEAD AHEAD!" The words echoed eerily, dampening all of their spirits.

At first, no one saw anything. Just the darkness of the ocean. Youko's keen eyes and highly intelligent brain looked up instead of forward, and his heart sank. There, outlined by a lightning flashing across the sky, was the top of the rogue wave. It towered at least a mile above their vessel, and bred thoughts of doubt that nature was definitely trying to kill them that day. As everyone, by now, realized that their end was near, a sudden movement to Youko's right managed to get his attention. It had been Nozomi, who had moved quickly and was currently rushing down the steps, not caring if she was now the center of attention. Her eyes were on the wave, her jaw set.

"Nozomi! There's nothing you can do!" Yomi cried out, then fell deathly silent as he saw her quickly untie her lifeline and run over to the bow, and then quickly stepped onto the bowsprit. Youko watched with a mixture of shock and curiosity in him, wondering what she was possibly going to do in the time of their unfortunate and early demise.

Standing at the very front of the ship, she took a deep breath and slowly released it, placing her right foot before her at the very tip, and her left foot behind her, pressing lightly against one of the mechanisms that held some rope for one of the masts. Raising her arms towards the wave, she seemed to quickly push against something, and then she seemed to buckle noticeably. As everyone watched, they slowly became aware of what exactly it was she was doing, and how the oncoming wave seemed to slow.

Grunting with effort, holding back the sheer monstrosity of the rogue wave, Nozomi kept her arms up, pushing against an invisible force as she attempted to hold the wave back. As it reared up alarmingly before them, now only a few feet from them, the crewmembers slowly lowered their heads, realizing with heavy hearts that they were about to die. This type of wave in particular was the type that all sailors hated, and the reason why so many were lost at sea. There was just no stopping them. After a few moments of their heads being lowered, they slowly looked up, and grew pale. The wave had been in the process of breaking upon them. However, upon further inspection, assisted by looking over the railings and whatnot, they had a surge of happiness as they noticed the wave itself was still moving, but not forward. The water in the wave was the movement they saw, but it remained frozen in place, more of less. Panting softly, Nozomi kept her back straight, her arms still raised upwards. Slowly, very slowly, she began to lower her arms. As she slowly began her downward ascent, the wave, in all of its monstrosity, slowly began to lower as well. Nozomi gritted her teeth, feeling a twinge of pain suddenly begin in her mind. However, she ignored it and continued, knowing that everyone's lives as a whole was more important than some silly pain that decided to start happening just then.

Once the rogue wave was around the size of a medium sized wave, she lowered her arms and stood back up fully, panting heavily. Youko knew immediately what was about to happen as he caught sight of her swaying dangerously at the edge of the bowsprit. Jumping over the railing, his helmsmen immediately taking his place at the tiller, he ran across the deck, trying to get to her. However, a wave crashed into the side of the ship suddenly, causing the princess to get knocked overboard and fall headfirst into the raging waves below. Not waiting a second longer, Youko dove over the railings and into the waters below, looking around frantically for their savior. As the water continued to knock him around, he barely caught sight of light brown tresses disappearing into the darkness below. Swimming down, he soon caught sight of the unconscious young woman. Wrapping a strong left arm around her waist, he began using his right arm to powerfully swim back towards the surface. His lungs felt as if they were on fire, making it harder for him to swim back to the surface. When he thought he couldn't make it without taking a breath, he finally broke the surface, panting heavily. Making sure her head was above the crashing of the waves, he tugged quickly at his life line, holding onto the princess carefully.

As soon as the crew had finished hauling the two of them back on deck, Youko quickly laid the princess down on the deck, placing a head to her chest. Not hearing anything, he growled and began doing cpr, pushing down on her chest three times before placing his lips against hers, trying to give her the breath of life. He repeated this for a few minutes, growling softly as he attempted to revive her. Yomi and the rest of the crew watched silently, expectantly, hoping for the best. Yomi, however, watched with more distain, as he noticed his captain locking lips with someone he himself had his eye on. Keeping that thought locked away, finding it selfish and inappropriate for the time, he concentrated on hoping that she recovered well.

"C'mon, Nozomi. Don't you dare die on me..." Youko growled, placing his lips around hers once more to give her air. As he released her, he softly whispered, "You're stronger than this…" And more loudly, "Wake up!"

Just as he was beginning to push on her chest once more, she began to cough, water coming out of her mouth. Quickly helping her sit up so that she could get more air, she looked up at him, and at them all, smiling briefly.

"You guys…"

Yomi quickly knelt down next to her, taking one of her limp hands in his, not caring for the mild glare he received from his captain.

"Rose… You saved us! I don't know how….but….thank you!" he spoke, knowing that the others felt the same. He kissed her hand, squeezing it gently.

She smiled at him, and at them all. She spoke softly, just barely audible above the wind. "You're….welcome…" she lost consciousness once more, causing a few of the others to cry out in worry.

Yomi felt his heart sink, but was drawn back to reality as his Captain stood with her in his arms, her hand slipping out of his. Turning his back to them, Youko spoke simply, but coldly.

"Head a course for the nearest and safest island."

"But, what about Rose?" Yomi asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took a step forward.

"She needs to rest." He spoke coldly, not bothering to look back at his first mate.

Yomi, feeling anger raising in the pit of his stomach, was about to say something when one of his friends, the one with the red bandana, placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head, silently telling him to let it go. Growling softly, hanging his head, he glared coldly at the back of his captain as he slowly departed, entering his quarters and the door closed behind him.

-_And that, my dear readers, is the end of the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, and look forward to the next chapter 2 weeks from now. Depending on how many reviews I receive, I MAY post sooner, but we shall see. I'm glad you enjoyed this, I had a lot of fun writing it. ^^ See you guys in 2 weeks! (or possibly sooner.) Don't forget to review~_


	12. Chapter 12 - Fear & a Secret

_Hello, everyone. I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter, and are looking forward to this next one. Albait, it is shorter than the others, but, it explains quite a bit. Well, perhaps only in my eyes... Anyways! Let's just moe right along here, shall we?_

**Disclaimer:**_I do not own YYH, its characters, or any of the rights. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things._

_And now, without further ado...~_

-A few hours later

With a soft groan, Nozomi clutched at her throbbing head, her eyes shut tight. She groaned softly once more, her entirety feeling as if it were numb. She practically jumped out of her skin when she felt something graze her left hand, which had been lying still by her side. Feeling a small surge of panic rise within her, her mind racing, she frantically wondered who it was that was touching her.

"Calm yourself… It's just me."

Recognition dawned on her, and immediately she relaxed, her hands releasing their tension, and returned to lying limp on the bed. With eyes fluttering, her cerulean eyes shimmered dully in the darkness as she began looking around. Surely enough, almost directly to her left, were a pair of hovering golden orbs, to which she recognized as Youkos' vivid golden gaze watching her. Through the darkness, she watched him, her mind blank, yet racing at the very same time.

"Y-Youko…" Her body soon began trembling, tears spilling from her eyes as she soon began crying. Silently moving from the chair he had been sitting in to the bed itself, he gently wrapped his arms around her, comforting her without saying a word. He gently caressed her hair, allowing her to cry, to let all of her pent up emotion out. "Y-Youko… P-please…" She begged, hugging him suddenly. "P-please…don't think differently of me…"

To this, Youko glanced down at the sobbing form he held in his embrace, curiosity flooding through his veins. Quietly, he spoke. "And why would I think any different of you?"

She sniffled, attempting to hide her face by smothering herself against his chest, her eyes closed tightly as his right hand rested idly atop her head. "B-because…I-I have powers…" She mumbled, fear evident in her voice. "I-I don't want to be judged…."

By now, Youko had a basic understanding of how she worked as a whole. Depending on how others reacted to her actions, not only would she change, but she would make it so that no one could complain about anything if she had any say in the matter. It was no real surprise to him that she didn't tell anyone that she had powers, even though normally that would never come up in a casual conversation. Just imagining it happening brought a faint smirk to his lips. Knowing, by now, that she was as fragile as a flower, her emotions linked directly to her actions, he sighed softly inwardly, wondering how in the hell he got himself caught in this situation. And yet, oddly enough, he wouldn't want it any other way.

Holding back the urge to actually smile, he spoke softly. "You shouldn't worry about it."

This caused her to glance up at him in surprise. "W-why shouldn't I?"

After gazing into her bright cerulean eyes for a few brief moments, he closed his eyes, exhaling softly. From within his hair, he withdrew a single red rose. Holding it before her, his eyes still closed, he slowly began feeding energy into it. Silently, Nozomi watched the rose bud that was being held before her through teary eyes. And then, slowly, the rose began to blossom, until, in an instant, the crimson petals unfurled fully, and the rose was in full bloom. Opening his eyes, gazing down at the obviously surprised and speechless princess, he spoke.

"Because you're not alone."

At his simple words, she stared at him, her mind suddenly racing. Before she could help herself, she asked, "W-who….are you?" To which he did not reply. Still staring at him, she managed to gently shake her head, still having a small headache, and continued on, more thoughtfully this time. Keeping eye contact, she continued. "Youko… Who are you…really? I mean… Not only are you a Pirate Captain, but I get the feeling you might be something else. Now I know why the crew fears you so much…or at least a reason." Falling silent, feeling as if she were rambling, she sighed softly, her head pounding dully.

Having turned her gaze to focus on her folded hands on her lap, she sighed softly once more. Hearing movement, she glanced at him, only to see him now standing with his back facing her. He was moving towards the door.

"Youko?"

He paused, just as he had placed his hand on the doorknob. Glancing ever so slightly at her, he spoke quietly. "It's….best if you do not know." He then proceeded to opening the door and closing it shortly afterwards, leaving the confused princess speechless and once again in the dark.

Sighing softly, she sunk back down into the clean sheets, unable to truly see any details due to the fact that there was absolutely no light within the small room. Beginning to doze off, she hoped that he would tell her soon, and wondered if it was so bad that he refused to tell her. Even after all this time…

-_That is the end of this chapter. As I've mentioned before, it is indeed a smaller chapter. But, important. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and review your thoughts and comments. I bid all of you a farewell, and hope that you all enjoy yourselves._


	13. Chapter 13 - Hostage

_ I had been wondering if I should post this or not, considering that I have already posted for the 2 week period w/ only 1 review. But, consindering the situation, I think I'll post this longer chapter, so that I don't feel as if I'm cheating you out of chapters or entertainment, and this has led me to post this chapter. Seeing as how I've been stuck home for the past month and a half due to a tear in my back muscle, I seem to be finally able to go back to work. So, that being the case, and seeing as how I still have not received more than 1 review from the Storm chapter, I'm going to have to bump the time length up until I update next. So, that means it's going to be 3 weeks now, before I update once more. As I've mentioned the other times, if you review, then I will gladly post another chapter sooner. This is a warning, due to the fact that I'm going back to work, and won't be on as often either.  
_

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own YYH, any of the characters, or the rights. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things._

_And now, I give you the chapter._

-The next Day

Rose had somehow managed to get on her feet and had wandered out onto the deck, where the other pirates had immediately swarmed her, thanking her and wondering if she was all right.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" She kept repeating, though she had almost fallen multiple times.

Yomi had taken it upon himself, much to his delight, that he be her anchor. Meaning, she could lean against him and he could hold her to help support her. Although she wasn't exactly happy about it, she pushed the nagging thought aside as she was lifted onto the shoulders of Yomi, who carried her around the entire deck, the others chasing after them. Laughing, she was put gently down back near the door to the Captains' Quarters, to which Youko now stood near, his arms crossed.

"This isn't very pirate like!" She laughed.

Yomi, laughing as he finished putting down the princess, smiled as he spoke. "We're glad you're feeling better, Rose. You saved our lives, after all."

"Yeah, but still, chasing me around like that isn't very piratey." She giggled, swaying slightly, but steadying herself by, unknowingly, placing her hand on Youkos' shoulder.

Youko noticed, obviously, but said nothing as he glared at the others. She continued to speak as if nothing were wrong, as she hadn't truly noticed yet. Yomi, noticing the look his captain had, spoke as if nothing were wrong, but watching which words he chose, as his captains' eyes flashed dangerously.

"You need to get more rest… You're still weak."

She nodded, but laughed a bit. "I know… But, I was worried about you guys…"

"CAP'PIN!" The man in the crow's nest bellowed deafeningly. Not waiting for a response, he continued. "SHIP!"

The atmosphere changed suddenly from calm to energetic. The others suddenly parted from the large group, grabbing ropes and such. Youkos' expression went from cold and deadly, to grinning evilly and sly. His glittering golden orbs focused on the princess, Yomi having gone off himself to tie down a few sails.

"Rose, get below deck. You don't want to get caught in all of this."

Something in his voice made her turn to him, which it was then that she realized that she had put her hand on his muscular shoulder. Being about to protest, her expression changing and everything, Youko held up a hand to stop her.

"I'm not going to hear it. You need to get back inside and go rest. Do not leave that room no matter what. Is that understood?" He ordered, pointing briefly towards the double doors that led to the captain's quarters, before turning and running off to do other things around the ship, including shouting orders.

Glaring ruefully after his long silver hair, she crossed her arms and gave a soft _hmph!_ Glancing towards the door, she glanced back towards Youko, who was clearly busy and not paying attention, she wandered off towards the railing, looking around for that ship. Running up the stairs near the helm, she looked behind the ship, and there it was, about a mile away, and getting closer. Glancing at their sails, she instantly knew why. Youko had apparently ordered that they use minimum sails. Reason being, so that the other ship could catch up to them easier, and so that their main sails would not get torn or damaged in the process, or, more than necessary. Ignoring the 'what are you still doing here' look she received from the ever silent helmsman, she went back downstairs and leaned over the railing. She was studying the waves that brushed against the ship when someone bumped into her roughly.

Looking at what he had bumped into, Yomi's eyes widened slightly. "What are you still doing here?! You should hurry up and get below deck!"

Staring at him, seeing his muscles bulging at the strength needed to hold the ropes that carried the weight of the large sails, Rose's mind raced once more, full of unanswered questions.

"Yomi..." She spoke, still thinking. She noticed how he, even though he was holding the rope and still technically working, he glanced uneasily at his Captain, who was not that far away from them, though his back was turned. "Yomi…you're the first mate, right? The second in command...?" Nodding silently, Yomi noticeably flinched as he noticed one of Youkos' sensitive fox ears twitch in their direction, though he remained facing the opposite direction. "Well… What is Youko?" She was met with a blank stare mixed with a 'you've got to be kidding me' expression. She gave him a brief 'I'm not stupid' expression and continued still. "Obviously he's the Captain of this ship; your captain. I KNOW that. But, what I mean is… What is he…really?"

Yomi now stared at her, the rope slipping slightly from his grip. He cursed softly at the burn of the rope, but quickly caught hold and fixed his gaze upon her. By his expression, it was obvious that he was immensely confused. Then, suddenly, realization dawned on him, and he grew pale as he both realized why, as well as because he felt the overwhelming and dangerous aura of his captain standing right behind him, not facing them, but listening fully now.

"U-uh…" He stammered, wondering how he should put this. Seeing the eagerly waiting and patient princess before him, he knew he had to say something…**anything**. Feeling a bead of sweat slide down the side of his face, he felt as if his chance was slipping. As he cleared his throat, he wrapped the rope that had just begun to slip once more several times around his right hand, securing it before he spoke once more. "If he hasn't told you yet, I'm not going to say a thing."

He felt a pang in his heart as he saw her disappointed look. "But…why?"

Yomi shrugged, grabbing the rope with both hands once more, unwrapping it and giving it a few good tugs. "Youko Kurama does not do things without reason." He spoke simply, grunting slightly with effort as he put his back into it, pulling up the sail so that it could be tied down. "There's always a reason to what he does. You may not like it, but I wouldn't worry about it." He smiled briefly at her, his crewmembers waving at him that he had done enough and to keep the rope taught and steady so that they could finish their work. "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, anyways."

"What makes you so sure?" She asked, feeling somewhat defeated.

Yomi shrugged in response, letting the rope go so that his crewmembers could haul it up and tie it down with the rest of the sail.

"Things have a way of answering themselves." He smiled at her, placing a hand on one of her delicate shoulders. "And I'll be damned if I'm the one who tells my captain's…secret." Glancing briefly over his shoulder, he caught his captains' eye as he turned back to shouting orders at the 'incompetent fools' who weren't doing their jobs properly. Smiling slightly, glad he avoided that silent death threat, he turned his gaze back to the disappointed princess before him. "Now, you really should get inside before-"

The sound of a canon being shot cut the rest of his words off before they were heard. Instinctively, Yomi grabbed the princess and ducked down, covering her head. A few of the others had done the same, but, luckily, the cannonball had missed their vessel entirely and landed with a loud splash to their starboard side.

Youko whirled around, yelling at his crew. "Load the canons! Show them what it means to attack the Spirit Fox!" His narrow golden eyes landed on the princess and Yomi, who were just now beginning to stand and look around, making sure it was safe. Striding over, he grabbed her arm roughly, dragging her away. "I thought I told you to get inside!"

She gave a small cry of pain as he dragged her forcefully away. "You're hurting me!"

Ignoring her, he opened the door to his quarters and practically threw her inside, not really caring if she landed on the floor. His cold and narrow eyes met her tearful and fear filled eyes. "I'd rather hurt you, than have you be put in harms way and possibly killed." He snapped before slamming the door shut in her face. The sound of a click was audible, meaning that she was locked inside. She stood, rushing over to the doors, beating on it with both fists.

"You can't keep me in here!" She cried, pounding on the door. "Damn it, Youko! You're NOT my FATHER!"

Outside the others stared at him as he walked away from the door, his bangs covering his eyes. Yomi, having been witness to what had happened, took a few steps forward.

"Captain…don't you think that you were a bit…harsh?"

His blood ran cold as Youko stopped and turned to face him, his eyes frigidly cold. "*I'll let you know which of us is captain and which is quartermaster*…if I hear anything else from you that speaks against my decisions. Or *I'll lash the hide off your back.* Is that clear?"

His words sent shivers down Yomis' spine, who felt a strange impending doom lingering over the entire ship suddenly, but, mostly directed at him. He saw his death looming over the horizon, and knew that if he wished to see another sun rise, he would listen and do nothing else but what his captain ordered. Giving a stiff single nod, he watched his captain turn back to the rest of the crew, who glanced briefly at the still pounding on the double doors, to their now biggest threat.

"Tie down all sails, ye scurvy dogs. They'll be leaving this ship in pieces…" A wicked grin crept onto his face as he unsheathed his sword and lifted it above him, the tip pointing towards the heavens.

This caused a massive uproar as the other pirates raised their own cutlasses into the air, shouting their battle cries as the enemy ship began to pull up next to them. Their own war cries were drowned out, and as they pulled up parallel to the Spirit Fox, insults were thrown. As the plank was placed between the ships for boarding, and others grabbed lose ropes to swing to the other sides, the fight began.

Meanwhile, inside the Captains' Quarters, Nozomi sat huddled against a corner of the main room, not having fully listened to Youko in going back to the small room. Figuring it wasn't exactly needed, she remained out of sight, and close to the wall, hearing the canons going off, and the vibrations through the ship as cannonballs made contact with this ship, as well as were sent off to its new neighbor. She jumped when the sound of something heavy collided with the double doors. Fearing the worst, she remained where she was, and even dared not to breathe.

Things seemed to have gotten just a tad quieter on the outside, for the fighting sounds seemed to have moved to the other ship, for things weren't as loud as when it had begun just outside the double doors. The shouting was even muffled just a bit. However, even still, she heard heavy boot steps approaching the doors.

"Worthless fool…" A man spoke in a gruff voice, the sound of metal scraping, and a body dropping being heard. Silence soon followed. Shortly after, the sound of rattling as he jiggled the door handle filled the room, and Nozomi grew pale. What would happen if he entered? What would she do? She had made sure that she had gotten out of sight, but what would happen if he were to find her? All of these fearful thoughts ran through her head, but they stopped suddenly when the rattling stopped. For a brief second, she thought that he had lost interest.

However, it was short lived as whoever it was; who she assumed was the Captain of the other ship, suddenly kicked in the double doors and entered. Nozomi instantly held her breath, not wanting to be caught. She could see his shadow from where she was at in the corner, but she could not see details. As he walked further into the room, she could hear him chuckle.

"Well, well… Seems as if the worthless fox has left his ship unattended." He spoke, chuckling to himself afterwards. He had a very heavy Spanish accent.

Nozomi was thinking frantically. _'Where is Hiei?! Wait…he must be with Yura! She can't defend herself…and I was supposed to be in that little room…'_

Just as she thought that, the man stepped into her line of vision, and she saw who it was. He was rather short, but was well muscled and very slim. Unable to see the front of this unknown stranger, she could not tell what his face looked like, but she could definitely tell what his hair looked like. Atop his head lie an un kept mass of denim blue hair with a widow's peak, a smaller Captain's hat with a large purple feather ticking out of one side sitting at a tilt on his head. He had bluish skin, sharp claw like fingers, and wore all dark green. His captain attire was different that of Youkos', in the fact that Youko wore more of a Chinese battle dress while this man dressed as a captain; a dark green trench coat, with loose black boots and semi-fitting black pants.

Biting her bottom lip, Nozomi held her breath once more, watching him with large eyes. The man put his hands on Youkos' desk, peering down at the contents. Still unable to see his face, she held back her curiosity for now, knowing that one false move, one false breath, and she would be found. The sound of a canon firing near the room caused Nozomi to move swiftly to cover her ears, inadvertently making a soft rustling noise. The captain in the room had perked up slightly, even with the deafening sound of the canon vibrating throughout the room. Nozomi had shut her eyes also, preparing for an impact that never came. When she opened her eyes once more, the pirate captain was no where to be seen. Growing confused, she peered around, both curiously and fearfully, wondering where he had gone. The light from the outside was gone, meaning the doors had been closed somehow. Not wanting to do anything stupid, she remained where she was, not daring to move. However, as she slowly lowered her arms, a soft rustle could just barely be heard. A shadow suddenly cast over her, and before she could shout out, a blue clawed hand covered her mouth.

-On the enemy Ship

The crew of the other ship was already subdued and tied up, sitting together, defeated, on their deck. Youko stood before them, his sword pointing at them threateningly, his expression twisted and savage.

"So, which one of ye filthy *bilge rats* wants to be the first to die?" He hissed, his narrow golden eyes flashing dangerously.

"Give 'im the *Spanish Torture*!" One crewmember cheered, causing the others to chorus his thought.

Youko, on the other hand, surveyed each of the subdued crew before him. Pointing his sword to one in the back, who was large of build and had deep brown skin and very short cut hair, he spoke threateningly.

"Where is your captain, quartermaster?"

The man flinched, having been caught. He had been attempting to hide in the back to avoid confrontation, but as the rumors proved to be true, he could not fool the man before him and his keen eyes.

"Well, well… if it isn't the King of Thieves, come to raid my vessel." A voice spoke suddenly, causing everyone to turn and look.

Youkos' expression, however, went from cruel and unforgiving, to furious, instinctively bearing his fangs. The enemy captain held the unconscious princess in his left arm, while his right arm as bent, his middle finger elongated into a sharp blade and was currently placed just below her chin. The man had a wicked grin plastered across his face, his yellow eyes with purple pupils glinted maliciously as he studied the angered pirate captain.

Yomi took a step forward, glaring up at the enemy captain. "You coward!"

This caused the man to chuckle, holding her just a bit closer. "Now, I wouldn't say that…" He then proceeded to licking her cheek, smacking his lips obnoxiously. "My, is she sweet… Keeping her all to yourself, eh, King of Thieves?"

Youko's golden eyes narrowed dangerously, daring him to continue. However, seeing that he had the upper hand, the rival captain continued, cackling mockingly.

"Please don't tell me you've fallen for her?" He traced the blade across her cheek, leaving a small scratch there that soon began to bleed as he removed the blade. His yellow eyes studied the silent fury of the man before him clad in silver and laughed mockingly. "Haha, you're pathetic! You! The King of Thieves, being swayed by a woman! Usually you wouldn't care for the wench!"

At this point, Nozomi slowly began to awaken, her eyes fluttering. She could feel the soft ocean breeze passing her by, and then a thought suddenly hit her. Why did she feel the sea breeze…when she was hiding inside? Her memories returned instantly, and now fully opened her eyes, struggling immediately. She stopped with a soft cry of fear as she felt a small burning pain at her throat, in which she realized that she was being held hostage.

"Ah, ah, ah…" The man hissed, pressing the tip of his bladed finger into her delicate flesh, causing a small trickle of blood to appear. He pressed their bodies closer together, his mouth near her ear. "You wouldn't want to lose your life, now would you *doxy*?"

Feeling a small pang of anger, she remained silent, looking down at Youko, silently pleading with him to do something. She had never seen him this furious before, and she could tell he was thinking about what he could do. Just seeing him in this situation made her feel oddly relieved that he was on her side, and not on the receiving end of that death glare. The man proceeded to licking her cheek again, to which she obviously recoiled, but was trapped nonetheless.

Cackling once more, the man continued. "I'm not unmerciful… So, I will grant you your woman back…if you become my slave."

"What?" Youko snapped, his golden eyes shifting from the trapped princess to glaring once more at the man who dared to hold her.

The man smirked once more. "Oh yes! I want you, the King of Thieves, to become my personal slave…"

Nozomi's eyes widened slightly at what she just heard. _'Youko? The King of Thieves? No…it….it can't be… I've heard tales of the King of Thieves…and Youko doesn't fit the part…'_ She looked at the man holding her hostage.

"He's not the King of Thieves!" She blurted out, not caring much for the situation anymore.

"Oh? I'm pretty sure I can recognize the signature Jolly Roger of the King of Pirates, doxy. Now, you yer trap or I'll *keelhaul* ya…" he snapped, placing the blade once more at her throat.

Youko watched silently, gritting his teeth. Yomi took another step, being just a foot behind his captain, ready for any order.

"What are we going to do, Captain?"

After a moment of silence and glaring up at the rival captain, he hung his head ever so slightly, his bangs casting his eyes in shadow.

"What I must…"

Realizing that his captain had said 'I' and not 'we', he knew that his boss had already thought of a way to kill this bastard who dared to even touch Rose with his grimy hands. Hoping for the best, he still awaited orders, knowing he was one of the only ones that could move fast enough in case of anything.

"Let her go, Roto." Youko spoke, taking a few steps forward, sheathing his sword in the process.

"Oh, so you've heard of me. I'm so flattered." He mocked, placing the tip of his blade at her throat once more. However, no one seemed to notice that Nozomi had gone extremely quiet, her head hung, her bangs covering her eyes. "Nonetheless, flattery will get you no where…"

"I said let her go." Youko repeated, making eye contact and holding it. "I'll do as you asked."

"And who are you to order me around in this oh so delicate situation?" Roto cooed, smirking wickedly.

"I am the King of Pirates, and as your King, I order you to unhand that woman. Not unless you wish to challenge me and my authority, you wretched vermin." Youko ordered in a cold and unmoving tone, causing the blue skinned pirate captain to pale.

"N-no, o-of c-course n-not…" Quickly covering it up with a wicked smirk, he continued. "Heh, fine! Be that way! But, as your master, I order you to kill the doxy, since you care so much for her!" He spoke, pushing the princess forward slightly.

Nozomi, reacting out of instinct and allowing her passive anger to take control, turned suddenly and kicked the pirate captain in the side of the head, sending him flying into the teller. As he slid down the teller, Nozomi turned and walked over to him, grabbing the front of his shirt and lifting him off of his feet.

"You…are worthless…" she spoke, tossing him over the helm, not caring if he got injured.

Roto slammed into the deck, crying out loudly at the pain. As he groaned, he failed to notice whom he was lying before. Youko, merciless as ever, grabbed the little vermin by the throat and lifted him. Giving him a venomous glare, he spoke softly, so that only Roto heard.

"*Ten thousand curses* on your worthless hide for daring to think you would win this, you lily-livered *bilge-sucking* *cur*..."

"N-no! P-please! I-I didn't mean it!" Roto cried, sweat pouring down his face as he struggled to free himself from the King of Thieves' iron grip, choking as he wriggled. "P-please! S-spare me!"

A wicked smirk creased Youko's features as he glared at this worthless trash he held just above the deck. "You're nothing but a *brainless* *craven-coward*…deserving of a fitting punishment." Tossing the pathetic excuse of a captain onto the deck of his own ship, he glared at Yomi. "Tie him up, and toss them in the brig. He'll be the first to die." A sinister smirk appeared. "Death…by *quartering* and *hot iron in the eyes*.

Yomi, not wanting to disobey his captain, did as he was told, knocking Roto out with the hilt of his cutlass before tying him up quickly. Hefting him up onto his shoulder, he glanced back at his captain and Nozomi, who was slowly walking down the steps. Knowing that he wasn't needed, he quickly ordered the others to bring the prisoners and leave as fast as possible. Once they had gone, Youko stood there, stock still, his golden eyes upon the now motionless princess, who stood before him, not even a foot away.

"Are you hurt?" He asked simply.

The response was a slap to the face, to which he half-saw coming. The slap echoed across the ship and over the ocean, causing a few of the crewmembers on the other ship to look around in confusion.

"Why didn't you tell me!?"

His head still turned in the direction of the slap, Youko did not move. Keeping his head in the same direction, his left cheek burning ferociously, he spoke softly.

"…to keep you safe."

"To hell it was to keep me safe! Do you have ANY idea how stupid I feel?! I'm the prisoner of the infamous King of Thieves!" Rose cried, motioning towards herself. "I **have** to do whatever the hell you tell me to do! I'm not even given a choice!" She was panting, glaring at him. Now he slowly turned back to face her, his eyes softer than they were before. Still, she continued. "Now I know why everyone's so terrified of you! It's **because** you **will** kill them if they don't listen! If they don't do **anything** your way, or on your time, you'll murder them! You're nothing but a cold, heartless, despicable man who only thinks about himself!" Turning, she brushed past him roughly, her anger blocking her better judgement. Still, though, she continued ranting. "I can't **believe** I'm so nice… I hate being so nice… **This** is EXACTLY what I get for helping strangers! It's the last time I do it, too! AUGH!"

Youko stood there for a few moments longer, hearing the usually mild mannered princess angrily stalk over the boarding plank and onto his ship. The sound of a door slamming shortly afterwards signified that she had gone below deck. After a few more moments of the awkward silence that had settled, Youko turned slowly, his bangs casting his eyes in shadow in the setting sun. Walking across the boarding plank, he almost killed one of his crew members who dared to speak with him. But, somehow, he managed to refrain himself.

"Cap'pin! Can we-?"

"Strip down the ship. Take everything worth something, and be quick about it. We're setting sail as soon as possible."

Shuddering as a chill ran down his spine, the crewmen nodded submissively and quickly moved away. Others that saw him did the same, not wanting to be caught in his wrath. Yomi, although knowing the risk, proceeded to doing his job.

"Captain!" Seeing him stop and turn a steely frigidly cold glare upon him, he concentrated on doing his business. "Apparently there are women stowed away upon the ship. Shall we bring them aboard?"

"Burn them."

Yomi blinked. "W-what?"

"Burn them." Youko repeated, his voice having a heavy finality imbued in his words.

"B-but…"

"Perhaps the crew could have some fun with them." Hiei spoke suddenly, walking up next to the first mate.

To this, Youko said nothing, and turned away, having given his order. Yomi glanced at Hiei and shrugged, to which Hiei gave his usual reply of 'hn'. Walking over to the stairs, Hiei calmly climbed them, his arms behind his back as usual. He stopped next to the Captain and said nothing. He was merely there. Yomi, knowing what he needed to do, passed the orders to the others. A few hours later, they lit up the sky as they blew the enemy ship sky high, littering the ocean with the scraps of wood that managed to remain after the explosion.

-_That about wraps it up. Hope you enjoyed it, and look forward to the next chapter. Don't forget to review__!_

**Definitions:**

**I'll let you know which of us is quartermaster and which is captain:** _Used to threaten someone while demeaning him. The speaker fills in the blanks with a pair of descriptions (of himself and of theb addressee) that yield a comparatively unfavorable characterization of the addressee._

**I'll lash the hide off your back: **_Self explanatory  
_

**Spanish torture:** _The phrase "Spanish Torture" can be used to refer to any number of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century torture methods closely associated with or distinctive to the Spanish, in particular: the rack, whereupon a victim's back and limbs are slowly stretched to breaking; the mouth pear, a metal bulb with a screw and shaft an one end, the bulb end of which is inserted into the victim's mouth and the screw turned so as to cause the bulb to unfold slowly but powerfully (thus destroying the lower part of the victim's face); hoisting, in which a victim's habnds are bound and looped over a rope the ids then raised such that the victim's body is suspended in the air (with excruciating pain to wrists, shoulders, and back, and constriction of chest); and the whipping of the soles of one's feet._

**Bilge-rat:** _Rat living in bilge, or the stagnant, foul-smelling water that collects at the bottom of a vessel._

**Doxy: **_A term for a young woman connoting of feminine charm, sexual allure, or a tendency toward sexual promiscuity._

**Keelhaul:** _Subject to keelhauling; haul a rope under the vessel's hull from one side to another or (less typically) from one end to another._

**Ten thousand curses:** A curse used to wish prodigious harm on another, but also an oath when used for emphasis, especially to express anger, displeasure, frustration, or some other negative, sharply felt sentiment.

**Bilge-sucking:** _"Bilge" is stagnant, foul-smelling water that accumulates at the bottom of a vessel._

**Cur:** _Literally meaning "mingrel" or "dog," the term is used figuratively to suggest the person so described as vulgar or worthless. _**  
**

**Brainless:** _Foolish; stupid._

**Craven-coward:** _A combination of "crave" and "coward". (Craven: without courage or determination; pathetically spineless.)_

**Quartering:** _Subject to a form of torture and execution whereby a victim's four limbs are torn from the body, with adjoining pieces of torso accompanying them.  
_

**Hot iron in the eyes:** _The application of red hot iron against the victim's eyes both causes him excrutiating pain and blinds him._

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not claim_**_ any _**_rights to the book_**_ The Pirate Primer. _**_The __rights belo__ng to_**_ George Choundas, _**_the author. I merely own a copy of his book._


	14. Chapter 14 - Marked

_Seeing as how more people managed to review in a week than I usually even get in two weeks time, I've decided to update! Thank you to those that did review. This next chapter gives us a little peak into the inner workings that is Nozomi!_

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own YYH, any of its characters, or its rights. That only things I own are a few characters, the story line, and a few other** **things.**

_And now, on with the chapter!_

-A few days later

Youko had ordered the crew to change course and to sail to the nearest island. Naturally, no one had dared to speak out against this, thus creating a strange sense of uneasiness that hung heavily over the vessel. Nozomi had regained her calm demeanor, and had returned above deck, doing random small jobs that others didn't have enough time for. She attempted to approach Youko, but each attempt was met with a cold glare, and a simple 'You should return to work.' before returning to whatever it was he was doing before.

Feeling defeated, and incredibly bad, Nozomi had begun to mope around the ship, no longer being very useful. Yomi, watching this, saw his chance and took it, noticing how his boss no longer seemed to be doing much of anything about the fair princess. Wandering over, temporarily not having anything to do at the time as the others had it covered, he took a small break, sitting down next to her, his back leaning comfortably against the railing.

"What's up, Rose?"

"He hates me…" She replied, hugging her knees, a strand of light brown hair moving out of place from behind her ear.

Blinking, Yomi glanced over at Youko, who had his golden eyes focused on the horizon. Part of him had the feeling that he was listening, and watching, but another part refused to let this opportunity slip.

"I wouldn't say that." He responded, smiling softly at her. "After all, who could hate such a doxy?"

At this comment, she turned a cold and hard glare upon him, to which he did not expect. "Don't call me that… I don't care who you think you are… But don't you ever call me that again…"

Holding up two of his hands innocently, he quickly responded with, "Okay, okay! Fine, I won't!"

After glaring at him for a few moments longer, she sighed softly and rested her chin on her knees once more, hugging her knees just a bit more snugly.

'_So much for that compliment… Maybe I should try a different way?'_ "Hey Rose?"

She sighed softly once more, her eyes focused on the ground. "What is it, Yomi?"

"Has anyone ever told you that, when you're sad or worried or very pensive, your eyes are as blue as the sky?"

Blinking once, Nozomi sat up and slowly turned to stare at him, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. She hadn't realized that he had been watching her so attentively that he had noticed such a small change in color of her natural eye color, which was cerulean, a blue green color. Blushing a bit more, she quickly hid her face and hugged her knees tighter, mumbling something.

Laughing at this reaction, finding it cute, he feigned innocence. "What? I'm being serious." He became just a tad bit more reflective, the smile disappearing. "Honestly, though, Nozomi. I've been noticing a lot of the little things you do. Like, in the middle of the night, when you think there's no one around, you use the mop as a sword to practice, or you sometimes climb up to the crow's nest and look up at the stars, and ask whoever is up there to teach you about them." By now, she was staring at him, wide eyed. He smiled gently. "I've noticed a lot of the little things you do, and…well, I would like to learn more."

Nozomi opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a boot making contact with the wooden deck before them. As they both turned to look, they both flinched somewhat as they made eye contact with Youko, who had his arms crossed.

"Yomi; go unfurl the main mast. We will be arriving shortly."

Nodding, Yomi quickly stood and began jogging away. Before he was too far away, he glanced back and waved, "Talk to you later, Rose." before he began to climb the mast.

Not bothering to wait another moment longer, Youko turned and began walking away. Reacting out of desperation, Nozomi quickly scrambled to her feet and, covering the distance between them quickly, practically latched onto his right arm, hugging it tightly.

"Youko…please wait…"

The action itself was enough to stop him, though her words also caused him to pause momentarily. His bangs once more covered his eyes, and his entire body was rigid. Noticing this, Nozomi felt a stab in her heart. She knew she had caused this. Her usually calm and clear mind had gotten clouded by anger and mistrust, thus causing her to speak words that weren't entirely true. Feeling the urgency in her core, she knew she had to say something quick, for fear of the worst…

"Youko…"

"Not here." Were his only words, to which Nozomi immediately understood, though she refused to let go.

Noticing that she wasn't planning on letting go any time soon, a soft sigh managed to escape his pursed lips as he slowly turned and they both walked towards his quarters. Just before he closed the door, he gave one final, menacing glare to his on looking crew before slamming the door shut.

Watching from aloft, Yomi sighed inwardly. _'I hope she's okay…'_

-Inside the Captain's Quarters

Nozomi cried out painfully as her back slammed against the back wall. Youko had, more or less, in an attempt to get her off, swung his arm towards the wall, causing her to be practically thrown in that direction. Now, her back slowly slid down the wall, her body quivering from the pain. Walking up to her, slowly, as if stalking prey, he approached.

His eyes were cold and cruel, a different side than she was used to. As he stopped before her, merely a foot from where she lay, she looked up at him, her lower lip quivering ever so slightly.

"What is it you want."

Flinching at the tone, noticing that it was a command and not a mere question, she gulped softly.

"Y-youko… I-I…." A single tear slid down her left cheek . "I'm so sorry! Youko! I….I didn't mean it!"

Youko glared down at her, unmoving, his eyes narrowing. "Liar."

The sting of his single word carved deep into her heart, causing her to fall silent. She sniffled, hanging her head.

"You are nothing but a spoiled princess, used to getting her way." He continued, his tone equally as unforgiving as his expression. "You may be a caring and merciful ruler, but you lack in discipline. You expect that your word be the last." He snapped, his sharp teeth clicking softly against one another in anger. "In case you haven't noticed, _princess_, you have no power here. Your word will never be last, especially on _my_ ship." He turned his back to her, crossing his arms and closing his golden eyes. "You are nothing more than a weak child who knows not her place, nor her own flaws. You have no place here."

Behind him, Nozomi grit her teeth, a few more tears managing to slide down her face. Still, she slowly rose to her feet, standing tall and firm. Reaching out slowly, she quickly grabbed his left shoulder and forced him to face her, getting in his face. Not caring if he saw her tears, she glared up at him, now both angry and hurt.

"How _**DARE**_ you!" She yelled, motioning towards herself. "For one, you were the one who brought me to this stinking rat hole of a ship in the first place! And yes, I dare to insult this pathetic excuse of a dinghy because if this is the ship of the King of Pirates, then there's something wrong with you! No pirate king that I know of would dare sail the seas in this pathetic excuse of a vessel! For another…" She sighed heavily, controlling her anger, but still glaring coldly up at him. Lowering her voice so that she wasn't yelling anymore, she continued. "…yes, I was lying. But, not entirely." She sighed once more.

"What I said the other day, about how I hate helping people… It's true." Her eyes softened as she spoke, though still managed to contain a certain sharpness them. "But, I can not help myself. I'm kind hearted, as I told you when we first met. I care too much for fools who manage to find themselves in a tight spot, and even though I hate what I'm doing, I do it anyway." Her eyes hardened once more. "But I am **not** incompetent. I am aware of my weaknesses, and my strengths. Maybe not **all** of them, but enough to get by…"

She sighed softly once more, her eyes closing briefly, and, tilting her head to the side, she gazed off towards the far corner of the room. After a few silent seconds, she released some air that she had apparently been holding and gazed back into his still sharp golden eyes. "I'm sorry, Youko. I really am. I'm sorry I hit you…you didn't deserve it. What you did, you did for me. I only realized that after the initial shock and my abrasive action that what I did was wrong…" She shook her head and turned to the left, hugging herself for comfort. "I'm sorry…for calling you selfish…" She gave a dry chuckle. "Heh, you even became a slave for 15 seconds just to have me freed…" She looked back up at him, her cerulean eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Youko stood there, surveying her. Her eyes, usually cerulean, he now noticed, were currently sky blue. It was as Yomi said. Seeing her body language, she was definitely insecure, and not comfortable, however, from her scent, she was speaking words of truth. But, what truly made these words of hers special…was that they came from the heart; her heart. When she initially turned him around, he was surprised. He had not expected such forcefulness from someone who was that soft spoken. But, upon hearing her words, his eyes had slowly begun to soften, though his overall demeanor remained the same. He partially wondered if she could tell. Hearing her sigh softly and turned to look away from him once more due to the prolonged silence, a smirk broke out on his face. Using his right hand, he gently cupped her chin and turned her head to face him once more.

In a soft voice, he spoke. "You are forgiven…only if you promise me one thing…"

She blinked, blushing softly as she gazed deeply into his dazzling amber hues. "W-what is it?"

He smiled softly, gazing into her currently sky blue eyes. "Promise me you'll stop acting around me. The others, I do not truly care what they see, but around me…promise that you will act more open."

Blinking in confusion at first, realization dawned on her suddenly, physically showing as her eyes widened ever so slightly. Smiling a bit more broadly as he saw her nod, he gently pressed his lips against hers, sharing a tender kiss. Blushing immensely, Nozomi closed her eyes, shyly kissing back, glad that they had reconciled. In a sudden movement, he easily swept her off of her feet and into his arms, bridal-style. With her arms wrapped around his neck, he gazed down at the blushing princess. A part of him cursed himself for getting too soft. However, a different part of him accepted that even he, the King of Pirates/Thieves had one soft spot…or perhaps even two. But, no one had to ever know… Perhaps this little princess could one day herself find out, but now was no time for that. Instead, he twirled her around a bit, enjoying the feeling of her grip tightening around his neck, before he gently put her back down on her feet.

Smirking once more, crossing his arms, he spoke once more. "Now that you've promised… I'm going to be more specific. When I meant 'more open', and this is just to be sure that we are on the same level of understanding, you are to act with me as you acted with your friends back on your island. They know the real you, and now it is my turn."

Blushing slightly, she nodded, fumbling with her skirt. "I-I s-suppose so…" To which he raised an eyebrow. With a heavy sigh, she cleared her throat softly and spoke once more. "I guess… If…that's what you really want."

Giving a satisfied single nod, Youko turned and began heading towards the door, when he suddenly stopped. Watching curiously, Nozomi wondered why he had stopped, and was now turning around. Walking back up to her, he gently held her in place with both of his hands on her upper arms.

His expression was soft and apologetic, which was highly unusual for him. "I'm sorry for having to do this, but…" Without another word of explanation, he bent down and, after moving some of her hair out of the way, gently bit into her neck.

A strange sensation flooded through her as she half moaned, half cried out in pain as she felt his incredibly sharp fangs sink into her soft and tender flesh. She could feel her body tense, yet somehow get somewhat aroused by it, which was strange in itself. As he removed his fangs, his lips remained, draining the blood that escaped the small wound. It took a while for Nozomi to realize that his bite took away most of her energy, her legs suddenly feeling like jelly. The only true reason why she was still standing was because he was holding her steady. Feeling his tongue passing gently over her new wound, she felt a strange sensation wash over her as his lips left her skin, the area where her fresh wound was suddenly getting cold. Shivering, she practically collapsed into his arms, her strength having half returned. Picking her up, Youko carefully maneuvered her towards the hidden room, where he silently opened the door and placed her gently on the bed. She looked up at him, her eyes half open.

"W-what…did you do…?"

After silently staring at her for a few moments, he responded softly, his expression calm and tranquil.

"I…" He paused, half kicking him self for hesitating. "I marked you…for your own protection. If you **ever** get into trouble, I'll know…" Seeing her expression go from confused and inquisitive to astonished, he continued in a soft voice. "Do not worry. So long as you keep part of your hair on that side, it will be hidden. Besides, it's not a mark that anyone can see. Only those who look closely enough to your neck will they even see the faint markings…" Leaning over her, he gently kissed her forehead. "It is to protect you…" Managing to steal a kiss from her soft lips, he smirked slightly and left her there, closing the door silently behind him.

Lying in the dark, now incredibly baffled, Nozomi sighed softly, placing a slightly trembling hand on her neck, or more specifically, the mark. A strange feeling was emanating from her heart at his words, and she had the strangest thought that maybe she was growing feelings for him. Blushing within the darkness, she came to a sudden realization in her soul searching; she loved him. Her, the princess of a kingdom, loved the King of Thieves and Pirates. It was the last thought that echoed within her mind before she drifted off to sleep.

_-And that's a wrap! Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to review! Feel free to make any comments, or suggestions in them. I'd love to hear more ideas from my readers as to suggestions on what other chapters I can randomly imbue into this. Hope to hear from you again soon!_


	15. Chapter 15 - Uncertain Horizon

_I know it is early, and that I shouldn't be updating so soon, but it's been almost 2 weeks, and I was reading Touya's Dream; The Golden Queen, when I felt inspired to update. Strange, no? But, point being, I felt like updating, and so, here is Chapter 15! This is getting to the point where I'm at...which I haven't been able to write more to in over a month. It's terrible to know that, well, I'm not staying ahead as much as I wanted to, but certain things have been preventing me to do so, you know?_

**_Disclaimer:_******I do not own YYH, the characters, or any of the rights. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things.

-2 days later

"Are you sure you're all right?" Yomi asked worriedly, placing a heavy crate near the pile of them near the boarding dock, where the others were unloading the vessel.

"I'll be fine, Yomi." Rose responded, smiling brightly. "What makes you think I won't be?"

At this, Yomi put the crate down and turned to look at her fully, panting slightly, his face racked with worry. "You're seriously asking me that? This is the King of Pirates, we're talking about! Do you know what he could do to you? Especially if you two are going to be alone for a full three weeks?"

Giggling slightly, she poked his left arm. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous."

Gently grabbing her hand, he pulled her just a bit closer, taking a step towards her. "I'm being serious, Nozomi… I'm worried about you… I don't want him to hurt you."

Smiling gently, knowing her friend was genuinely worried for her, she hugged him, to which he blushed at.

"Thank you for worrying, Yomi, but really… I'll be fine. He said he just wanted to show me something, is all…"

"I can think of a lot of things that could mean…" he mumbled, his expression darkening.

"What?" She asked curiously, not having heard him, letting him go and gazing up at him.

Shaking his head, Yomi returned to work, finishing his duties. "It was nothing… Don't worry about it…"

Tilting her head curiously, she returned to leaning against the railings, watching him working. As she looked overboard, she could have sworn she saw a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye, but when she looked, there was nothing of that color in sight. Finding that strange, she returned to 'people watching', something she sometimes did in order to understand how the normal people worked.

"You're going to his hide-out." Yomi spoke suddenly, causing her to look back at him. He grunted as he finished putting the last crate near the others. Coming over, he leaned against the railing himself, passing a hand over his face to removed the excess sweat.

"Hm?"

"You're going to the main hideout…" He repeated, looking down at her, looking worried once more. "It's the only real thing I can think about that he wants to show you… Besides, we're not going with either of you, so you'll have to rely only on the captain…" He paused, in which he gazed deeply into her cerulean eyes, as if he were searching for something. "Are you sure you're going to be okay? You'll be with the roughest gang he's got… And although I'm usually there, he trusts me with this errand…and I can't mess it up."

Standing up straight, she looked up at him. "I'll be fine, Yomi… Besides, I trust Youko. I've noticed that, strangely enough…he's oddly chivalrous…" To which she laughed at. "I don't know, maybe it's just me…"

Giving a doubtful expression, he sighed softly. Glancing up at him once more, she leaned forwards and placed a light kiss on his cheek, to which he flinched and blushed deeply. Turning to look at her confusedly, a hand on the spot where her lips had made contact, he stared, unable to find the words to describe his mass confusion.

Smiling brightly, with her eyes shut lightly, she spoke briefly, "Thank you so much for worrying about me, Yomi. You must really care a lot about me in order to worry that much… But, really, I'll be fine. Those other pirates won't be able to touch me…" She gave him a look and he understood what she meant by 'touch'. She did control water, after all, and anyone who touched her inappropriately would either have their hand cut off, or worse if Youko was a witness.

With a heavy sigh, though a light blush still on his cheeks, Yomi pushed him self away from the railing and took a step onto the boarding plank. Glancing back, he gave one final worried look to her, to which she responded with a soft giggle and a small wave. Managing a smile, he gave a final wave and ran into the crowd, disappearing seconds later.

With a soft sigh, Nozomis' shoulders slumped, as if she were exhausted. She herself was highly worried also, but she didn't want anyone else to know that. As she sighed once more, she practically jumped out of her skin when she felt two hands on her shoulders suddenly. Hearing a soft chuckle, she knew exactly who it was and sighed heavily once more.

"Damn it, Youko… I hate it when someone sneaks up on me!" She cried, turning around and pushing him away.

Chuckling still, he crossed his arms, leaning against the main mast. "So, Princess… Are you ready?"

With a soft sigh, she nodded, managing to smile up at him. "I suppose so… I mean, what else can I do? There's not much, oh great captain…"

He raised an eyebrow, though a smirk was on his face. "Is that sarcasm I hear?"

Turning her back to him, she crossed her own arms, her eyes closed. "Perhaps."

"I see…" Silence followed that statement. Growing confused at the sudden silence, and wondering if she had done something she wasn't supposed to say, she turned around, only to find that he was no longer there. Growing even more confused, she took a step towards the main mast, looking around the empty deck. In a sudden movement, Youko appeared behind her and swept her off of her feet, catching her by surprise. Walking over to the far railings, where the small waves brushed against the vessel, he held her over it. "If that was sarcasm, then perhaps I should throw you overboard?"

Clinging to him desperately, gazing wide eyed at the black water below, she shook her head frantically. Chuckling once more, he gently placed her back on the deck, not at all surprised to see her whirl around in mock anger.

"Please don't do that again…"

"It's not like it wouldn't affect you. After all, you do control water, do you not?" He smirked, seeing her sigh in defeat. "Now then…" His expression grew more serious. "Nozomi… For where I'm going to take you, you need to stay on your guard. You will need to act as you did when we first met, understood?"

Not completely understanding what he meant, she nodded, looking up at him. "I…I suppose so."

"Do not disobey me, not even for the smallest reason." The severity of his tone made her realize that her life was probably at stake, so she nodded once more, this time with more finality.

"I'll do my best…"

With a satisfied nod, Youko gently took her hand and led her off of the ship and began navigating them through the large crowds. At this, Nozomi was more than happy to be holding his hand, causing her to blush slightly at the thought. Another reason she was glad he held her hand was because if he didn't, she would have probably gotten lost a while ago. There were so many people here, and a lot of them looked grimy, poor, and tanned from working in the sun every day; in other words, pirates. Many, many pirates. After what seemed like hours of passing by hideous men with few fingers remaining and women's moans coming from the alleyways, the crowd died down until there was no one around.

Although glad that every now and then Youko would glance back to make sure she was okay, she was more preoccupied with where in the world they were heading. As darkness consumed them, and a few people rushed by, Youko pulled her into a small alleyway. At first scared, she relaxed as he turned the corner not too far away from the main entrance, and it opened up to a small canal. Its path was obscured by a small cave entrance not too far away, but the sound of waves crashing in the distance signified that the cave lead out towards the ocean.

Assisting her in getting into the dinghy, Youko easily boarded the highly unstable vessel and began rowing towards the cave. His golden eyes were focused on the princess, however.

"Nozomi." She looked at him, having been looking about in wonder. "This is where I change. When the darkness consumes us, I'm going to tie you up, and place you in a cage. You are to do nothing until the time is given… You'll be safe in the cage… But, I implore you… If anything that is not supposed to happen begins, call for me, and I will come. Understood?" With a silent, single nod, Youko gave his own, and the darkness of the cave's shadow consumed them.

-_And that is the end of chapter 15. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and are looking forward to the next. I know not when I will update next, but perhaps it will be sooner than later. -shrugs- You never know. Anyways, don't forget to review your thoughts, comments, predictions, or even things you may possibly want in later chapters. Hope you all have a nice day!_


	16. Chapter 16 - Small Talk

_Hello everyone. I felt like it's been a while since I updated last, and I won't be able to do so in the next two weeks, so I figured I'd just do it now while I have a chance... Especially since Thursday, the president of the company I work for will be paying a visit, and I work the next two days without knowledge of when I'll be going home... So yeah... I'll be updating now. xD_

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own YYH, the Characters, or the rights. The only things I own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things.**

-5 days later

Upon first entering the cave, it seemed and felt as if it were something out of a fairy tale. There were piles of gold and jewels everywhere, lining the walls and covering the cave floor. The cave entrance turned out to be a small island situated not too far away from the merchant island, giving a proper escape if and when needed. It held its own private indoor cove where the true vessel of the King of Thieves and Pirates rested, practically hovering in the water. There was just enough breeze that managed to enter the island cave so that in case of an emergency, the pirates could unfurl their main sails and escape.

Even now, chained miserably to a stalagmite, Nozomi sat, having been 'found' snooping around the island and 'captured', to be given to the King of Pirates as a token of the crews appreciation. Sniffling slightly, she traced small circles in the sand, having moved enough coins out of the way in order to even do so. Hearing footsteps, her ears accustomed to even the softest sounds due to her incredibly brief 'training' before she was 'captured', she sighed softly once more, not even caring. This, in retrospect, was incredibly boring… She had always had something to do, one way or another. Still, she hid the stick inside her boot, in case they moved her again, so that she had something she could do. Now completely bored, she sighed once more, miserable.

"I see you are enjoying yourself."

Perking up at the voice, a bright smile appeared on her face as she stood and turned to face Youko. Youko himself stood casually against a large outcropping of rock, an amused smirk on his face, his arms crossed.

"Youko!"

He held up a hand, his left ear twitching. Quickly, she covered her own mouth, glancing in that direction. With neither of them hearing anything, he let out a soft sigh.

"If I am to check on you, the others must not know. Did you forget that?"

She hung her head, closing her eyes. "Sorry… I was just so happy to see you…" She blushed softly, focusing on a small pile of gold near her right foot. Glancing up at him, still blushing, she mumbled, "I missed you…"

This of course, caused him to raise a curious brow, but he shrugged it off and approached, taking a seat on a smooth rock near where she was chained.

"There is something I need to tell you before any business are truly conducted." He spoke, keeping his voice low.

Sitting back down herself, she watched him curiously. Growing somewhat confused, she couldn't help but ask, "But, Youko… You don't call sentencing some random fool to be *quartered* or to be *flogged* business?" A pause, in which she noticed his eyebrow rise once more. She could feel a smile tugging at her own lips as she continued. "Oh! One of my favorites was when you ordered, oh, I don't remember his name… But, you ordered him to…polish, I think it was, the deck… And when he finished, and you came back, apparently, he had 'polished' the deck with fish guts or something awful smelling, I could smell it from here… And so, when you returned, you were so angry that you sentenced him to *sewn lips*, *trim ears*, *hot iron in the eyes*, and…oh, there was one more… Oh! It was *target shooting*." By now, she was smiling, unable to help herself. Seeing his apathetic expression, and calm calculating golden eyes, she couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "It was amusing to hear…. I'm sure if I had been there, it would have been terrible… I can only imagine what it must have been like for you. What with your sensitive nose and all…"

After studying her for a few moments, a smirk broke his cool complexion. "Yes, it was quite horrible. I still smell it from time to time." He chuckled, hanging his head briefly as he did so, remembering it. Looking back up at her, he smiled briefly before shaking his head, his long silvery locks swaying with the movement. "As to your question, yes, it is business. But, it is not official business." Seeing her confusion, he merely waved it aside. "Don't worry about it. Now, as for what I need to tell you…" He paused, sighing softly. "I have…a brother…"

"Okay…" She responded, not seeing the point.

Growing somewhat irritated, he sighed heavily. "He is my _baby_ brother, and apparently he has been acquiring a name for himself. In fact, they have been calling him _Kurama_ now."

Nozomi blinked in confusion. "_Kurama_… But, isn't that…?" She pointed at him. "Your full name is _Youko Kurama_, right?" Seeing him nod, she lowered her arm, still feeling immensely confused. "Okay…so…what about your brother?"

With another barely audible sigh, he spoke once more. "He is too soft; too kind-hearted. I need to confront him once again, and may need your assistance this time."

She blinked, obviously not expecting this. "You need _my_ help? But…what can I do?"

To this he remained silent, merely gazing at her, his thoughts elsewhere. Standing up, he turned to leave. However, before he left fully, he paused and glanced back at her. "We shall see… For now, stay safe."

Nodding silently, she sighed once he had left, hearing his incredibly soft footsteps retreating until she couldn't hear them anymore. She had gotten so bored that she had identified almost every new crew member, including Youko, by the sound of their footsteps. This was, of course, when she decided to pay attention. As it was when Youko had appeared suddenly, she was obviously not doing so. Still, she waited for whatever it was that was coming.

-_And that's the end of the chapter. Not very long, but enough to get you by, right? So, please don't forget to review, and I'll update again sometime soon. (But remember, if I get a lot of reviews, I'll update sooner!)_

**_Quartered: _**_Subject to a form of torture and execution whereby a victim's four limbs are torn off his body, with adjoining pieces of torso accompanying them. _

_**Flogged:**__Beat or thrash severely with a whip, rod or cane._

_**Sewn Lips:** A gratuitously painful way of quieting someone._

_**Trim Ears:**__The cutting, and cutting off, of another's facial features are popular among pirates for being quick and easy ways to radically disfigure and thereby dehumanize a victim._

_**Hot Iron in the Eyes:**__The application of red-hot iron against the victim's eyes both causes him excruciating pain and blinds him._

_**Target Shooting:**_ _The victim is suspended over a vessel's deck-especially the yardarm so as to keep the victim clear from the center mass of rigging-and shot at._

**Extra** **Disclaimer:** **I do** **not claim rights to the book "The Pirate Primer", which was written by George Choundas. I merely own a copy of the book. That is all.**


	17. Chapter 17 - Lair of the King

_Sorry for the long wait, everyone! I've been so busy with work and dealing with problems, as well as the long hours, that I failed to pay attention to the long time span... Imagine my surprise when I realize that it's been over a month since I last updated? Hehe...sorry, everyone! Now, for a treat (and because we've reached this far) I wanted to see just how many of you actually read As Red as a Rose...AND, please tell me, do these chapters sound familiar to you at all? ^^_

**_Disclaimer:_**_I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, any of its characters, or the rights. The only things I do own are a few characters, the plot line, and a few other things._

_Due to my absense, I have decided to make three seperate chapters into one long one, in hopes that you will forgive me. And to make sure you guys are reassured that no, I have not forgotten about ABATS, nor do I plan to ever forget this story. ^^ Enjoy~!_

-3 days later

The chilling echo of bones cracking filled the small cave as the back of a scrawny thief slammed against the jagged cave wall with tremendous force. However, although his bones had obviously cracked, he was dead long before he hit the wall. He had been forced to swallow a seed, which, once fully within the stomach, sprouted, coming out of all openings in his body. It also wrapped around every internal organ, squeezing the life out of it. In place of eyes, there were thick vines that wrapped around his head.

Youko approached the crumpled heap, his golden hues mere slits, his brow furrowed greatly. He was definitely not pleased.

"How dare you bring me inadequate information." He growled, his golden eyes flashing menacingly.

"Captain! Captain! We have new information!" A man's voice echoed within the small cave, the owner of the voice rushing into the open space whilst pointing in the direction in which he came. However, upon the sight of the crumpled heap on the floor, he stopped dead in his tracks, his complexion palling considerably under his tan skin. "A-am I i-interrupting s-something?"

"No." Came a brief reply, Youko turning slightly, still glaring at the dead body. "Get this trash out of my presence." He ordered, turning fully and beginning to walk towards the man. Not able to help himself but tremble softly, feeling death near, his heart practically stopped when the King of Pirates stopped right next to him. "You'd best pray you have adequate information, or *the death you face will make men's blood run cold for a hundred years*." He then continued walking, taking a seat not too far away from the main entrance, looking more than just menacing.

Trying to control his trembling body, the lean man carefully treaded over to the cold body. With clammy hands, he hefted the dead weight over his shoulder and began walking back to the entrance, where sharks awaited in the water, circling expectantly. Heaving the body into the water, there was a flurry of movement where the sharks all attacked the body at once, tearing it to shreds and gobbling it up before disappearing from sight, swimming deeper into the depths of the black water. With his mind racing with thoughts of escaping, and the consequences he faced if he were caught doing so, he swallowed his cowardice and turned his back on his dead partner's grave. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he re-entered the cavern, hearing the clap of thunder echo in the distance, giving the cavern a more ominous feel to it that was almost palpable.

"Captain!" A man called out suddenly, a mischievous grin on his face. He was a man of large build and bronze skin, who now chuckled darkly as he reached behind a rock formation, and mercilessly dragged the frail princess before the others, who had now gathered. He grabbed both of her wrists before she could escape, tightening his grip, causing her to cry out in pain. Her body was close to his, unfortunately, causing her to be able to smell his terrible breath. Nozomi cried out softly, trying to somehow get her wrists free from his tight grip. Her eyes, however, fell on Youko, to which she grunted softly and tried to fight once more against her restraints. "Hows' 'bout a lil relaxation, Captain?" He sneered, looking down at her hungrily.

Youko watched apathetically, his eyes briefly growing softer as he surveyed her. He looked away, waving a hand at the brutish man. "Not now."

"But, Captain! Just look at this doxy!" He gave a forceful tug on her arms, causing her to lurch forward slightly, crying out in pain while doing so. A look of anger briefly flashed across her face, but she bit her tongue, knowing that now was no time for that. "With her soft and delicate hands, she could have you in the clouds before ya know it!"

At the sound of her cry of pain, Youko's eyes were on her in an instant, narrowing slightly as he focused his gaze more on the crewmember. He saw her still trying to struggle, and after a few more moments, she gave up, her limbs going limp within the man's grip, her eyes shinning with unshed tears.

"Release her." He ordered coldly, glaring menacingly at the man. In shock, the man did as he was ordered, confused as to why his Captain was so defensive over this woman. The cold glare remained focused on its target until the man reluctantly released her. Not to his surprise, she backed away from the man, staying a good distance away, but not too far away, her fear filled eyes focused on the other crewmembers, eying them cautiously.

"Come here, *doxy*." He ordered, his narrow eyes focused on her now. Flinching noticeably, though a flash of anger once again made its presence known in her eyes, he was not surprised to see her not budge. With his eyes narrowing, he raised his voice enough so that it echoed menacingly throughout the cave. "I said, come _here_."

Swallowing roughly, she took a tentative step forward, her large eyes focusing their fear filled gaze on the crew members, not wanting any of them to touch her, or even come near her. As she slowly grew nearer, she turned her gaze back on the Pirate King, who still sat, watching her coldly. As she came to a halt before him, it was now evident that she was trembling softly, like a small leaf in the strong autumn wind.

Eyes softening slightly as he focused more on her, he spoke. "Calm yourself, doxy. I will not harm you…" Hearing an intake of breath from a few of his crew members, he addressed her once more. "Take a seat. I will finish my business before deciding what to do with you."

Reluctantly, she slowly sat on a smooth rock to the left of his throne, facing the other crewmembers. She cast an uneasy look around the cavern, not trusting any of them. Youko, on the other hand, glared ruthlessly at them all, back to his role as the King of Pirates. "Now then, what information have you managed to gather? If it is any worse than what that other pathetic fool attempted to give me, then you will face a worse death."

The man who had claimed to have new information hesitantly stepped forward, temporarily gazing at Nozomi before returning his gaze to his King. Wringing his gnarled hands nervously, he spoke. "W-well, Captain… We've gathered information that your brother was last seen on a merchant's isle, about 30 miles from our current position. He shipped out the very next day for Nacar Island, which, if I remember correctly, Captain, is our main lair, right?"

Smirking at this news, Youko leaned casually against his right hand, crossing his legs in an attempt to get more comfortable. "I see… So, my little brother is attempting to track me down..." He couldn't help but chuckle derisively. "He knows I am rarely even on Nacar Island, but tries nonetheless. What a fool." Chuckling still, he cast his gaze to the young maiden to his left. "It would appear as if I will have use for you after all, doxy."

Nozomi looked up at him, feeling helpless. "B-but… W-what use could I be to you?"

Youko's response was his eyes narrowing and his expression growing more menacing. "Are you questioning me, woman?"

Flinching at the tone, she frantically shook her head. "N-no, s-sir… S-sorry, s-sir…" She looked back up at him though, curious. "B-but…how do you know he'll go there?"

With a broad smirk, he casually replied, "Because, my little vixen, he is my little brother." Turning, he glared menacingly at the man that had brought him the information. "It is time to put my plan into action. Asai, it is time. Take our smallest ship to the main port, and wait for the arrival of my brothers' ship."

Nodding, swallowing roughly, Asai, the man who had brought the information, turned and quickly left the small cave, heading towards the hidden cove within the island cave and heading back to the port. With the leaving of Asai, the rest of the crew departed as well, leaving in small groups, guffawing and talking loudly, leaving the King of Pirates alone with the young woman. Feeling his eyes upon her suddenly, she blushed, gazing down at her folded hands.

"It appears as if we are alone now." He smirked, gazing down at her amusedly. "Maybe we should have some fun?" Standing up to his full height, he offered a hand to her, which she gratefully took. As he helped her to her feet, he continued. "I'm quite impressed with your acting, Rose. I didn't think it would go quite so smoothly."

With her own eyes narrowing, she glared ruefully at him, crossing her arms. "Yeah, well… If you keep calling me 'doxy', then I can't account for any lost lives… You know I hate that…"

Chuckling at her comment, he turned and began walking in the opposite direction of his crew, Nozomi trailing after him. "I'll do as I see fit."

Sighing softly, she knew that she could do nothing more than to just follow the King of Pirates, mentally kicking herself for having fallen for the man.

-The next evening

After the initial shock of being on the main island of the King of Pirates, a legendary place said only to be known to very few people who still live, she was 'escorted' to the King of Pirates' 'main chambers', where the crew members chortled as they walked away after they had locked the door. Sighing heavily, she glared ruefully at the ground.

"Idiots…" she mumbled, sitting at the edge of the large bed that was there. Sighing once more, she glanced back at the bed, sadness in her eyes. "I can only imagine just how many women have been in this bed… Ah, well…" She gave a short, wry laugh. "I have no hope…"

Hearing a click, she glanced towards the door to see who it was, naturally. Catching just a glimpse of silvery white hair, she looked away, knowing there was only one person it could be.

"We are expecting company soon, my dear. It is time to get ready." Seeing her sitting on his bed with a slightly irritated look on her face, he paused, closing the door quietly behind him. Locking the door, as a precaution to not being interrupted, he maneuvered himself over to the bed and sat down to her right, watching her closely. As he had approached, she had looked the other way, sitting with her hands folded neatly on her lap.

"What's wrong?"

Glancing at him briefly, she returned her gaze to an interesting vase she had found half-hidden in a corner. The intricacies of the vase were unique and fascinating.

"Nothing."

Raising an eyebrow, his gaze following hers, he noticed the small vase in the corner. Looking back at her, he gave a small 'hm'. Glancing briefly at him once more, noticing that he was watching and waiting, she sighed softly and stood, wandering around his expansive room.

"The space in here reminds me of my room back home…"

Youko, silently following her with his eyes, spoke softly. "Speaking of which…"

"You know, it's amazing some of the things you have in here…" She said curiously, poking one, a golden tablet located snugly in a corner. "It's so simple…" Upon further inspection, she noticed that, apart from the large red jewel located at the top, the tablet was not a tablet, but a golden mirror.

Sighing softly, Youko stood and approached her, gently grasping her delicate hands and turning her towards him, his eyes, surprisingly, incredibly sad.

"There is a reason why I do not come here often… Not anymore, at the very least."

Blinking, noticing his change in demeanor, she merely gazed into his amber eyes, waiting for him to continue.

After a few moments, he sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "My first mate, and my best friend, Kuronue; we used this place as a storage facility. Using the fact that barely anyone knows it is even in existence to our advantage… But, one day, when we agreed to meet here, I arrived, and he was missing…" He fell silent, his eyes still closed, his mind regressing to that time, hidden deep within his memory banks. "I found out a few weeks later that he had been captured…and killed." He gave a sour chuckle, to which he opened his eyes and looked at the golden mirror with the large red jewel at the top. "I went on a rampage… I hunted down every single pirate that was a part of the crew that killed him…and made them all suffer the same fate. As tribute to my best friend and first mate, I took what he was after as my prize…this mirror." He released her hands and gently grasped the mirror, holding it within both of his smooth hands. The cool metal felt relieving to his calloused hands. Closing his eyes once more, he placed the mirror back where it had been before, leaving it there as he turned away.

Glancing back at the mirror, then back at Youko, Nozomi decided that now was a good time to change the topic, but, not before she approached him and hugged him from behind. She was not surprised to feel him tense up at her touch, though he soon relaxed in her embrace. Placing a single hand over one of hers, he sighed softly, then turned around, cupping her chin and looking deep into her eyes.

"Nozomi… I need your help. My brother will be arriving shortly, and I will be in need of your assistance."

Giving a single nod, she smiled up at him. "What do you need me to do?"

"Stay here until I come for you. I will explain then."

Nodding, knowing by now there was no need to pursue the topic, she leaned forward, raising herself a bit on her tip toes, and lightly kissed his cheek. Blushing lightly, she smiled a bit more brightly up at him and said, "Don't be too hard on him, okay? He _is_ your brother, after all."

Staring at her, as if surprised she had even done that, he smirked, as usual, and nodded. Shortly afterwards, he kissed the top of her head, and then departed a few moments later. The lock clicked into place, signaling that she would be protected here until further notice. With a soft sigh, she sat herself back on the bed, looking around the room once more.

-A few hours later

Asai re-entered the cave, panting heavily as he carried an unconscious Leiko into the small cave. Once he was entirely inside, he tossed the body unceremoniously onto the hard floor, the golden coins jingling in complaint to the sudden force. Footsteps could be heard approaching from all sides, causing Asai to stand up straight, though still panting, a wicked smile on his sweaty face. Youko entered, followed by his crew. His golden eyes landed to the still figure on the floor, instantly realizing that it was not his brother. If anything, this was not a part of his plan, and swore the death of this foolish man if it were something that entailed anything but business.

"What have you brought me, Asai?" He demanded coldly, glaring at the man who was standing proudly near the still body.

"We've brought something that just might peak your interest, Captain." He replied, motioning towards the body.

As they were talking, Youkos' ear twitched, and a soft groan was heard coming from the body lying on the floor. His golden eyes were immediately focused upon it, narrowing considerably. "A woman?" He smirked slightly as he noticed the body stiffen considerably, the heart beat, having been slow and rhythmic, was now hammering away within the chest cavity.

"Y-yes, captain! You see, it looks like your brother has someone he adores now… A soft spot." He spoke proudly, nudging the body with his foot. "I saw them kissing before he left, and I came aboard. I figured this would be the perfect gift for you, Captain."

Surveying the body for a few moments longer, Youko spoke. "We shall see…" He glanced about, glaring at his crew, as well as Asai. "Stand her up and fasten her to one of these stalagmites. Let us see what lies beneath the mask, shall we?"

Three of his crew stepped forward, along with Asai, who managed to force her to her feet, and practically threw her against one of the limestone stalagmites, not caring much if she got injured or not. Grabbing a long piece of rope, they proceeded to tying her tightly against the stalagmite before stepping away, allowing Youko to step forward. Pulling a *seaman's knife* from his boot, Youko cut the restraints on the woman's wrists and ankles before placing it back within his boot. Standing up straight once more, he grasped the top of the burlap sack that covered her head and removed it.

The bright light caused by the reflection of the torches scattered throughout the cavern blinded the girl, not surprising the King of Thieves in the least. He stood before her, waiting. He smirked as he saw realization dawn in her eyes, as well as recognition. Her eyes scanned his entire figure, to which he was also not surprised at, and came to a final stop where she had made direct eye contact. Even after blinking a few times, as if trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was before him, and not dreaming or hallucinating this event, she continued to stare at him.

Smirking still, he stepped forward and reached behind her head, his hands gently grasping the tight knot so as to un-gag her. "Let us dispose of this, shall we?" He asked quietly, his smirk shrinking slightly as he noticed her faint blush. He finished untying it and returned to where he had been moments before, surveying her curiously. "Tell me, what is a beautiful young maiden such as yourself, doing out on the seas?"

Having her mouth slightly ajar, it was dully noted that she was still in shock. After shaking her head vigorously, her chocolate brown eyes narrowed considerably and she replied harshly, "You have no business asking me that!"

Not responding vocally, Youko responded with an amused 'hm' and removed the *seaman's knife* once more from his boot, slicing cleanly through the rope that bound her so tightly to the stalagmite. She staggered forward, but managed to recover quickly so as not to run into him, which he found highly amusing. It further amused him, though it did not really show physically, that she stood straight and glared at him coldly, though he was not fazed.

Raising an eyebrow, he spoke, a hint of amusement in his tone. "You are quite brave to stand up to me, woman; especially if you know who I am." His expression changed as his usual smirk creased his features. "Of course, you are not the first to do so. Others have either died due to their own foolishness, or have somehow managed to remain with me."

"You sick bastard! You're nothing but a sick womanizer!" She yelled, pointing at him. She turned to the right and crossed her arms, closing her eyes in resolution. "Now I can see why Kurama's more attractive that _you_. He actually knows how to treat a woman. Plus, he doesn't over abuse his masculinity like you do."

At this point, he had heard enough. Not giving her enough time to actually react, he had already grabbed her roughly by her shoulders and slammed her mercilessly against the limestone stalagmite, causing her to cry out in both surprise and immense pain. She looked up at him through her raven colored bangs in utter fear, her body shaking involuntarily.

"Now you listen to me, you *termagent*. I will not have you insulting me when I have done nothing to deserve such insolence. Do not dare to challenge Youko Kurama, or you will never see the next sunrise..." He threatened, his golden eyes cold and narrow.

Somehow, the *vixen* managed to escape his grasp, though he had consciously loosened it to see what she would do. After taking a few steps back, she glared at him coldly, her right hand clutching at her left shoulder tightly. "Don't you _dare_ touch me, you filthy sea-rat!"

Youkos' eyes flashed maliciously, though his physical expression was calm and calculating, proving that he was indeed the one that was still in control of the situation. It also showed just how dangerous the King of Thieves and Pirates could be. Studying her physique closely whilst taking a step forward, he glared menacingly at her, daring her to make the first move.

Unfortunately, she didn't have to. Asai, knowing that this *she-snake* needed to be taught a lesson for disrespecting his captain, charged at her. Planning on tackling her, he was immensely surprised to see her move out of the way before he could accomplish his goal. Another crew member managed to grab her wrist, but, to their surprise, she used the leverage and landed a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him sprawling quite a few feet away, clutching his abdomen tightly as he groaned loudly at the pain. Without any warning, Youko surprised the *vixen* by grabbing her shoulder suddenly from behind, Leiko having turned her back to the King of Pirates. Using the momentum, the young woman attempted to land a punch, which Youko knew on instinct would be a powerful one. However, his instincts and reflexes were faster, and he easily caught her balled hand, smirking amusedly. Clutching it tightly, he brought her closer to him, glaring coldly into her dark brown eyes, slowly but surely forcing her hand back into a painfully crippling pin.

Crying out in both pain and anger, Leiko could do nothing as he quickly grabbed her other hand and placing his right leg in between her two feet, thus further keeping her from being able to defend herself. With his smirk slowly fading, Youko's gaze went from her cold eyes to her balled fist that he held tightly. Releasing it briefly, he quickly caught it once more by her wrist, forcing her hand open whilst raising it before his face. Forcing her other hand up and open as well, he inspected them both, a mischievous grin forming. Lowering her hands, his cold and humorless gaze captured her own.

"It appears…that my brother and I have similar tastes…" He sneered, his fangs glinting in the torchlight.

"What the hell are you talking about, you creep!?" Leiko yelled angrily, confused by his words, attempting to escape his iron grip.

Smirking, Youko continued. "You are no ordinary she-pirate." He paused briefly for effect. "You are a princess. And now that you are before me…" He leaned in just a tad bit closer to her face, scrutinizing her features. There was something familiar about this woman that he couldn't quite put his finger on… She attempted to look and turn away, but due to the fact that he held her hostage, her movements were extremely limited. Recognition dawned on him, and his smirk returned. "I see… I remember now… You are Princess Leiko, of the Kingdom by the Sea…" He gave a short dry chuckle. "To think my brother actually kidnapped you… It appears as if we are more alike than each of us believes… How ironic…"

Ignoring her confused gaze, vines shot out from seeds he usually hid on his person and encased the princess tightly. Quickly releasing her wrists just as the vines began wrapping around her caused her to be completely bound in a matter of seconds, only her head being visible. As her body hit the coin covered ground, he turned to his crew, smirking evilly. "Bring the other woman. When my brother arrives, we shall see just how precious this princess is to him." He chuckled darkly, walking off towards the area in which Nozomi was, leaving Leiko completely alone and abandoned for the time being.

-_And that's the end. I hope you enjoyed it, and look forward to reading your reviews!_

**The death you face will make men's blood run cold for a hundred years:**_ Self__ explanatory._

**Seaman's Knife:**_Small blunt-ended knife with a serrated blade, typically measuring five inches or less in length, and usually carried on a lanyard or in a sheath._

**Termagent:**


End file.
